Questions Arise Over Flydubai Pilot's Background Checks and Flight Assignment

New details are emerging about Hamam Al-Hamami, the co-pilot who attempted to hijack a Flydubai flight to Israel, raising questions about his pre-employment screening and his assignment to a flight filled with Israeli passengers. According to AP, a regional source and an individual involved in the investigation revealed that Al-Hamami had previously been removed from flight duties at Oman Air due to concerns over extremist views. He was then moved to an administrative role before being hired by Flydubai. A Gulf diplomat stated that Al-Hamami underwent standard security checks for employment, which primarily focused on criminal records rather than a deeper assessment of potential radicalization. It remains unclear how much information Oman Air shared with Flydubai.

Israel had previously indicated it had agreements with foreign airlines to prevent pilots from countries without diplomatic ties to Israel from flying there. Oman and Israel do not have official diplomatic relations. However, a separate Israeli report suggests that the aviation agreement between Israel and the UAE does not include such a restriction, leaving the circumstances of Al-Hamami's flight assignment under scrutiny. According to Channel 12 News, Al-Hamami had landed in Israel previously as a pilot, with his last arrival in Tel Aviv occurring just a week before the attempted hijacking. In response, Israel is examining whether pilots with dual citizenship, including Iranian, Syrian, or Iraqi, have landed in the country in recent years. Security agencies are also investigating if other pilots from foreign airlines pose similar risks.

Furthermore, no Israeli official was aware at the time that Oman Air had previously grounded Al-Hamami due to concerns about religious extremism. CNN reported that accounts attributed to Al-Hamami contained images of El Al and Arkia planes, photos of Al-Qaeda figures, and nearly 3,000 deleted tweets. The network emphasized that it is unclear who posted videos after the incident. The Ministry of Transport's security department admitted they do not conduct comprehensive background checks on foreign airline pilots, relying instead on the airlines and their countries of operation. However, the Tax Authority confirmed receiving the Flydubai crew list from the UAE before takeoff, contradicting the Ministry of Transport's claim of not receiving the list.

Shmuel Zakai, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority, stated that Flydubai has temporarily suspended its flights to Israel at the directive of UAE authorities pending an investigation to ensure no further breaches exist and that Al-Hamami acted alone. Four regional countries are investigating his motives, with assistance from the US and other Western governments. A Gulf diplomat noted that no direct link to a terrorist organization has been found, and the possibility of him acting alone is being examined. Despite this, CNN reported that Al-Hamami had previously posted content featuring former Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Al-Hamami, born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother, reportedly traveled to Syria previously, though details are scarce. He also underwent training with Royal Air Maroc in 2025 but was not hired, and studied aviation management remotely at Buckinghamshire New University in the UK.