UAE Attorney General: FlyDubai Co-Pilot Attempted Terror Attack

The Attorney General of the United Arab Emirates, Hamad Al Shamsi, announced that an investigation into a FlyDubai incident revealed the co-pilot attempted a terror attack. According to Al Shamsi, the co-pilot initiated his plan during a flight by assaulting the captain in the cockpit and used an emergency axe in an attempt to seize control of the aircraft. The co-pilot, identified as Hammam Al Hammami, is an Omani citizen born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother, according to WSJ and ABC News. He previously worked for Oman Air for seven years, where he was moved to administrative duties due to signs of radicalization. He then worked for Royal Air Maroc for seven months before joining FlyDubai eight months ago. Following his apprehension, social media accounts bearing his name posted videos of Israeli aircraft, with one recording dated October 2023. The revelations highlight a failure in background checks for airline crew members working for foreign companies flying to Israel, with responsibility falling on the Ministry of Transport's security department and relevant intelligence agencies. The article also questions what checks were conducted by FlyDubai itself.