Report says flydubai co-pilot was barred from flying by Oman
Reports cited by DW say the co-pilot of a flydubai flight was previously barred from flying in Oman amid concerns about alleged extremist views. The flight landed safely in Saudi Arabia after the captain was stabbed, while the allegations and the circumstances remain under investigation.
The co-pilot of a flydubai flight was reportedly barred from flying by Oman because of concerns that he had adopted radical ideological views, according to reports cited by DW. The incident occurred on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain in an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft.
Two other pilots in the cockpit took control and landed the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. There were 182 people aboard, including four pilots. The Wall Street Journal reported that Flydubai hired the co-pilot despite the Omani ban.
CNN cited sources who said he had been removed from a job at Oman’s national airline the previous year over concerns about extremist views. Al Arabiya also reported that Omani authorities had determined that the co-pilot held extremist views. The supplied material says it was unclear whether Oman had shared those concerns with other countries or airlines, and the nature of the alleged radicalisation was not clear.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot had undergone Islamist indoctrination and intended to crash the jet. He said authorities were investigating whether anyone else had directed him. The reports cited in the source material do not establish the allegations as fact.
They also do not provide a response from the co-pilot or a complete account from Flydubai.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.