Flydubai Co-Pilot Was Once Barred From Flying Over ‘Extremist’ Views: How Did He Pass Security Checks?

A Flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking his captain with an emergency axe had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about alleged “extremist” views, yet later passed standard security checks before joining the airline.

Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, was serving as co-pilot on Flight FZ1073 when the September 30 incident occurred during its journey to Israel. The flight was carrying 182 people. The UAE has described the incident as an attempted “terrorist” operation. Al-Hammami allegedly attacked the Indian captain with the aircraft’s emergency axe and attempted to take control before the captain opened the cockpit door and passengers and others helped subdue him.

The incident has raised questions about how pilot background checks work across countries and airlines, including what information is shared between authorities and whether previous security concerns are passed on when pilots move between employers.

A previous flying ban did not prevent a return to the cockpit

According to sources who spoke to the Associated Press (AP), al-Hammami had previously been barred from flying in Oman because of concerns that he had adopted “extremist” views. He was instead moved to an administrative role at Oman Air.

He was later hired by Flydubai.

A Gulf diplomat told AP that al-Hammami had undergone standard security checks before being hired. It was not immediately clear, however, to what extent the co-pilot was vetted.

It is also unclear what the alleged views were or whether Oman informed other countries or airlines about its concerns.

CNN reported that a LinkedIn profile bearing al-Hammami's name said he had spent seven years at Oman Air before leaving in February 2025. The profile said he joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025 and left in January this year.

The checks pilots are required to undergo

Commercial pilot screening is not governed by one global standard.

An airline pilot and instructor told Al Jazeera that the requirements vary between airlines and countries. Pilots are generally required to obtain aviation medical certification from the regulator in the country where they are licensed to fly.

In the UAE, that responsibility lies with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

A Class 1 medical assessment typically examines areas including vision, hearing, cardiovascular and neurological health, as well as conditions that could cause sudden incapacitation.

Aviation rules also require background checks for personnel who have unescorted access to security-restricted areas.

Some airlines also require prospective pilots to provide police clearance certificates from their country of residence, Al Jazeera reported. Depending on the jurisdiction, psychological assessments, drug and alcohol testing and other evaluations may also be required.

Philip Baum, a visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University in England, told AP that background-check systems differ between countries and that there are limitations on cross-border checks.

“In terms of aviation security itself, obviously we want to have as robust background checks as possible. But there are huge limitations on doing background checks in any case, especially in cross-border checks,” he said.

UAE shared crew details with Israel before flight

Questions have also been raised about how al-Hammami was allowed to operate a flight to Israel, given that he was reportedly an Omani national and Oman has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

UAE authorities had shared information about the passengers and crew of the Flydubai flight with Israel before it departed, including the pilots' names and nationalities, according to regional officials cited by the AP. Under a law passed in 2023, airlines are also required to provide information about passengers and crew members, including their names and nationalities, to Israel up to 48 hours before a flight.

The officials said Israel had not raised security red flags about any passenger or member of the crew. The sharing of the passenger and crew information was part of standard aviation procedures, according to AP.

The Israel Tax Authority confirmed to Haaretz that it had received the lists for the Flydubai flight.

Haaretz reported that the information is also supposed to be available to Israeli security bodies, including the Mossad, police and Shin Bet, to identify people who may pose a security risk.

Security sources told Haaretz that the Transportation Ministry's Security Department and the Mossad are responsible for checking foreign flight crews and issuing alerts if concerns arise.

However, two security sources told Haaretz that while the Transportation Ministry holds responsibility “on paper”, it does not have its own intelligence capacity. AP reported that Shin Bet said the Transportation Ministry is responsible for vetting passenger lists from foreign flights. Transportation Minister Miri Regev, however, said security agencies are responsible for flight security and that her ministry was not given a passenger list or any warnings.

Dvir Rubenstien, the head of aviation security at the Transportation Ministry, told Army Radio that the ministry relies on local security checks and does not have the tools or ability to check every passenger on every flight.

It remains unclear whether Israeli authorities were informed about the concerns previously raised about al-Hammami in Oman when they received the crew information.

Netanyahu calls incident a “loophole”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel has longstanding arrangements with foreign airlines aimed at preventing pilots who are nationals of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from flying there.

Netanyahu has described what happened as a “loophole”. He later instructed the head of Israel's National Security Council to appoint an examiner to review “all security aspects regarding foreign civil aviation to Israel”. Israel has also said it will strengthen its checks.

UAE has not established a motive

The UAE has not yet publicly established a motive for the alleged attack or announced whether investigators believe al-Hammami acted alone.

UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said on Saturday that the latest ‘terrorist’ attack is a new warning that the region's fight against “extremism” is not over.

“This underscores the importance of the UAE’s early and firm stance: no tolerance for extremism and no leniency towards its rhetoric. Security begins with confronting hatred and drying up the sources of extremism,” he posted on X.