JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv had previously been removed from flying duties by Oman’s national airline after concerns were raised about his ideological views, according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal.
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The revelation has raised fresh questions about how the pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, was later able to obtain employment with Flydubai and serve as co-pilot on a flight carrying Israeli passengers.
According to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, al-Hammami had worked for Oman Air for about seven years but was removed from flight training after concerns emerged about what the airline regarded as radical ideological views. He was reportedly reassigned to non-flying duties before eventually leaving the company in February 2025.
Other reports have provided additional details. CNN reported that al-Hammami’s subsequent career included an unsuccessful period of training with Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc. The airline reportedly confirmed that he underwent approximately three months of training in 2025 but was not selected for employment.
A LinkedIn profile bearing al-Hammami’s name, which has since been deleted, listed seven years at Oman Air followed by Royal Air Maroc from June 2025 to January 2026. It did not mention Flydubai, although sources told CNN that the profile belonged to the pilot. Israeli officials have said he had worked for Flydubai for roughly eight months before the September 30 incident.
Investigators and journalists are also examining al-Hammami’s online activity. CNN reported that it analyzed nearly 3,000 deleted posts from an X account associated with him. Posts from 2021 and 2022 reportedly expressed deeply conservative views about women, marriage and mixed-gender workplaces.
One post reportedly discussed his mother’s difficulty finding him a wife who would agree to wear a niqab and stop working after marriage. Another criticized mixed-gender workplaces, claiming that religious women could be negatively influenced by them.
Particularly troubling material appeared on a LinkedIn account bearing his name shortly after the attack. According to CNN, two posts were uploaded roughly nine hours after the incident. One contained cockpit videos, including footage apparently filmed at Dubai International Airport and showing an El Al aircraft. The posts also included images of former al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and Jordanian al-Qaeda operative Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who carried out the 2009 CIA base bombing in Afghanistan.
Another post featured an AI-generated image linking Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem, accompanied by a poem about rejecting humiliation, refusing to fear death and defending one’s dignity. The account and a corresponding Instagram account were subsequently deleted. CNN cautioned that it was unclear whether the posts were uploaded by al-Hammami himself or had been scheduled in advance.
The revelations have intensified questions about aviation security and the exchange of security information between countries and airlines.
According to the Wall Street Journal, it remains unclear whether Oman informed other authorities about the concerns that had previously led to al-Hammami’s removal from flying duties. The UAE has not publicly provided a detailed account of the pilot’s background or the vetting process that preceded his employment by Flydubai.
The incident occurred on Flydubai Flight FZ1073, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. Authorities say al-Hammami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit and attempted to take control of the aircraft. The aircraft plunged rapidly before control was restored with the assistance of other pilots and passengers. It eventually landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the incident as a suspected terrorist attack and said the co-pilot appeared to have undergone Islamist radicalization. Investigators are examining whether he acted alone or had assistance from others.
The United Arab Emirates has opened a terrorism investigation, including an examination of whether the attack was planned in advance or involved outside direction. Israeli security authorities are also investigating the incident.
The case has prompted renewed scrutiny of the procedures used to screen pilots for extremist activity and of whether information about security concerns follows aviation employees when they move between airlines and countries.
Flydubai flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv remain suspended while the investigation continues.