Was a Warning Missed? flydubai Co-Pilot’s Reported Past Puts Hiring Under Scrutiny

Had concerns been raised about the flydubai co-pilot before he entered the cockpit of Flight FZ1073?

That question has emerged at the centre of reporting on the September 30 attack on Captain Smit Machchhar, with several international news organisations alleging that the suspect’s previous employer had flagged concerns about extremist views.

The reports raise questions about his employment history and recruitment. They do not yet establish what information was available to flydubai when it hired him.

The airline has urged against premature conclusions, saying the reasons and motives behind the incident remain subject to an official investigation.

REPORTS ALLEGE EARLIER CONCERNS

Al Arabiya English, citing sources, identified the Omani co-pilot as Hamam Alhamami and reported that he had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about extremist views. Its sources linked those concerns to time he had spent in Syria.

CNN separately reported that the suspect had been removed from training at Oman’s national airline because of concerns about radical views, but was subsequently assigned another role.

Fox News, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that Oman Air grounded him in 2024 after discovering visits to radical Islamic websites. The source also alleged that flydubai had not checked with Oman Air before hiring him.

These accounts differ in their descriptions of the employment action taken against the suspect. The supplied reports do not include a detailed response from either airline addressing those specific allegations.

RADICALISATION CLAIMS UNDER EXAMINATION

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that investigators were examining alleged indoctrination into al-Qaeda’s ideology and meetings with unspecified religious figures.

Separately, i24NEWS, citing sources briefed on the investigation, reported that the co-pilot had told investigators he intended to crash the aircraft in Israel.

Neither an alleged ideological influence nor the accounts of his previous employment establish that an organisation directed the attack. Whether he acted alone remains a central question.

The suspect was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE after the aircraft’s emergency landing. Israeli investigators have joined the UAE-led inquiry.

NETANYAHU WARNS POSSIBLE ORGANISERS

In a video message on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his allegation that the co-pilot had undergone radicalisation and intended to crash the aircraft.

“We are now investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price,” he said.

US President Donald Trump has separately suggested a possible Iranian connection, but presented no evidence establishing one in the remarks cited in the reports.

Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the UAE President, described the cockpit attack as a “dangerous terrorist act” while praising Machchhar’s courage. He also cautioned against speculation.

FLYDUBAI: LET THE INVESTIGATION ESTABLISH THE FACTS

Flydubai said it was fully supporting the inquiry and stressed that its findings should precede conclusions about motive.

“At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation. We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts,” an airline spokesperson said.

Chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith thanked Machchhar, the pilots who secured and landed the aircraft, cabin crew and passengers who assisted.

“I know there are many questions about what happened on board FZ 1073. A full official investigation, led by the relevant authorities and fully supported by flydubai, is underway. It is important that we allow this process to establish the facts,” he said.

The airline has temporarily suspended operations to Tel Aviv at the authorities’ request.

MACHCHHAR RECALLS HIS ‘ONE LAST PUSH’

The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight diverted to Tabuk after the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar. Despite serious injuries, the captain unlocked the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to intervene. Off-duty pilots aboard the aircraft subsequently helped bring it down safely.

Speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, Machchhar described recognising that the aircraft was descending while he lay injured on the floor.

“And I knew for sure: ‘This is the one last push, Smit. Just do it. The door is right there.’ Even as blows were still landing on me, I just managed to open it, sir,” he said.

He credited those who then came to his aid: “The others also played an equal role in this.”

Now under medical care in Abu Dhabi, Machchhar said he was confident of recovering, even if the process took time.

“I am thinking of it as a journey that will happen slowly. And it will take time, but I am very, very confident that I will recover. And I will be completely healthy.”

With inputs from ANI