Israeli Security Agents Question Flydubai Pilot in UAE

Israeli security agents from the Shin Bet have traveled to the United Arab Emirates to question the co-pilot of a Flydubai flight who allegedly attempted to crash the plane carrying 174 Israelis. The co-pilot, identified as 29-year-old Maam Al-Hamami, reportedly planned the attack before being hired by the airline. According to Reuters, citing Israeli officials, Al-Hamami told investigators he applied to Flydubai specifically seeking airlines that flew to Tel Aviv.

Al-Hamami, born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother, was reportedly removed from flights with Oman Air after "extremist materials" were found in his possession, yet was subsequently hired by Flydubai. CNN reported that videos of El Al planes and a picture of former Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri appeared on his LinkedIn profile hours after the incident. The UAE Attorney General stated Al-Hamami attempted a "terrorist act" by attacking the captain with an emergency axe in the cockpit.

An investigation by The Wall Street Journal revealed that Al-Hamami joined Oman Air in 2018 and became a pilot in early 2022. Omani authorities discovered his browsing of extremist websites in 2024, deeming him untrustworthy, and enrolled him in a de-radicalization program. However, Oman did not share these concerns internationally or revoke his license. He left Oman Air in early 2025 and was rejected by Royal Air Maroc later that year. Flydubai hired him in February of this year amidst rapid expansion, conducting a criminal background check but reportedly not inquiring about his professional history with Oman Air.

Authorities in the UAE are now investigating Flydubai employees involved in his hiring. Al-Hamami's whereabouts remain unclear. Investigators are examining his past, including extensive travel to Syria during its civil war, his studies in Melbourne, Australia, from 2015 to 2017, and a period in New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand police have opened investigations into his connections in those countries. Despite regulations prohibiting pilots from countries without relations with Israel, like Oman, from flying to Israel, Al-Hamami flew the route. Flydubai reportedly submitted passenger and crew lists to Israeli tax authority databases, but the Ministry of Transport, responsible for foreign airlines, had not accessed these lists since their 2023 inception, claiming they were unaware of the possibility and that Flydubai had committed to vetting its pilots.

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance stated on Monday that he had not yet seen conclusive evidence of Iranian involvement in the attempted attack, adding that while it is being investigated, nothing definitive has emerged.