Flydubai co-pilot had been barred from flying in Oman, source says
A person familiar with the investigation says Oman previously stopped the Flydubai co-pilot from flying over concerns about extremist views before he was hired by the UAE-based airline. Authorities are investigating the incident, while flights between the UAE and Israel remain suspended and repatriation flights have begun.
The Flydubai co-pilot accused of nearly crashing a Tel Aviv-bound flight had previously been barred from flying in Oman because of concerns that he had adopted extremist views, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person said the co-pilot was later hired by the United Arab Emirates-based airline. It was not immediately clear how extensively he was vetted when he joined Flydubai.
The source spoke anonymously because the investigation is continuing. Oman’s decision was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The incident has triggered a regional investigation and intensified concerns about aviation security.
The flight was carrying 182 people, and the captain was credited by UAE officials with preventing a catastrophe. The captain, Smit Machchhar, was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE and is recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital. The UAE has cancelled flights to Israel, disrupting travel between the two countries.
Israel and the UAE have arranged repatriation flights for passengers stranded in the Emirates after commercial services were suspended. The first such flight left the UAE shortly before 11pm local time and arrived in Tel Aviv shortly after 1am, according to Ben Gurion International Airport’s website. Israeli investigators are involved, but Emirati authorities are leading the inquiry, according to an official who was not authorised to speak publicly.
The official said it remained unclear whether the attacker was part of a group and that there was no current evidence of a connection to Iran. US President Donald Trump said preliminary information suggested possible links to Tehran, without providing details. He warned that the United States would respond forcefully if Iranian agents were found to be responsible.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the co-pilot as having undergone Islamist radicalisation, but the source material says he provided no evidence for that assertion. UAE diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash called the incident a terrorist act. Authorities have not yet established the assailant’s motive.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.