The FlyDubai co-pilot accused of attacking the captain during a Tel Aviv-bound flight had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns that he had adopted extremist views, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The co-pilot was later hired by Dubai-based FlyDubai, despite the restriction in Oman, the source said. It remains unclear how extensively he was vetted before joining the airline.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that Oman had barred the co-pilot from flying. The disclosure comes as authorities investigate the incident, which forced the Boeing 737 carrying 182 people to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The incident has raised questions about aviation security and screening procedures as investigators examine what happened inside the cockpit.
The United Arab Emirates has suspended flights to Israel following the attack, disrupting travel between the two countries.
Israel and the UAE have since arranged repatriation flights for passengers stranded in the UAE after commercial services were suspended. The first repatriation flight left the UAE late Friday and landed in Tel Aviv shortly after 1am.
Dubai had become a popular destination for Israeli travellers after Israel and the UAE established diplomatic ties in 2020 under the Abraham Accords.
Israeli investigators are participating in the inquiry, although Emirati authorities are leading the investigation, according to an official familiar with the matter.
The official said it was not yet clear whether the attacker was acting as part of a wider group and added that there was currently no evidence linking the incident to Iran.
US President Donald Trump said early information he had received suggested a possible connection between the attack and Tehran, but did not provide details. He warned that the United States would respond forcefully if Iranian agents were found to be responsible.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the co-pilot as having undergone “Islamist radicalisation”, but has not provided evidence supporting the claim.
UAE senior diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash described the incident as a “dangerous terrorist act” and credited the captain with preventing a larger disaster.
The captain, Smit Machchhar, was wounded during the incident and was later transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE, where he is recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital.
Machchhar told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a televised video call that he had been fighting for his life after being attacked inside the cockpit.
“I had so many wounds. I had fallen down. I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realized that if I didn’t get up … then passengers would lose their lives.”
Investigators have continued to reconstruct the flight after the aircraft suddenly dropped to about 16,600 feet more than two hours into the journey.
A passenger seated near the front of the aircraft said passengers heard sounds of a struggle inside the cockpit shortly before the aircraft began its sharp descent.
The plane later climbed to about 21,725 feet before descending again to around 15,000 feet, where it remained until landing safely.
Passenger Daniel Schlichter said the descent was terrifying, particularly for children on board.
“One of the things that I will never forget is the shouting of the children. I could hear the children shouting, ‘We don’t want to die! We don’t want to die!’”
The captain eventually managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and restrain the co-pilot.
Passengers held the co-pilot on the cabin floor and bound his hands with headphones while the injured captain was treated by a dentist travelling on the aircraft.
The incident involved 174 passengers and eight crew members, most of them Israelis.
Erizia Rubyjeana
Follow us on:
