How was Flydubai’s co-pilot allowed when he was considered a safety risk? | Explanatory news

A Flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking his captain with a rescue ax and trying to take control of the Israel-bound flight had already been banned from flying over concerns about alleged “extremist” views, raising questions about how he was allowed to travel to Tel Aviv.

The co-pilot was identified as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, according to several media reports.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has described the September 30 incident on board flight FZ1073 as an attempted “terrorist” operation.

But investigators are still working to establish the motive and whether anyone else is linked to the attack, which has raised concerns about pilot vetting and aviation safety.

So what security checks do pilots have to go through and how was al-Hammami able to evade background checks?

How did al-Hammami apparently pass the checks?

This is now one of the central questions facing investigators.

Al-Hammami was previously banned from flying to Oman over concerns he had espoused “extremist” views and was instead moved to an administrative role at Oman Air, according to sources interviewed by the AP news agency.

He was then hired by Flydubai.

A Gulf diplomat told AP that al-Hammami underwent standard security checks before being hired. It was not immediately clear to what extent the co-pilot was checked.

US network CNN reported that a LinkedIn profile with al-Hammami’s name indicated that he spent seven years at Oman Air before leaving in February 2025. The profile indicated that he joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025 and left in January this year.

It is unclear what these alleged views were or whether Oman informed other countries or airlines of its concerns.

What background checks are commercial pilots subject to?

Background checks for commercial pilots vary between airlines and countries, with no single global standard governing the process, an airline pilot and instructor told Al Jazeera.

The captain of an international airline who chose to remain anonymous said pilots are usually required to obtain an aviation medical certificate from the regulator of the country where they are authorized to fly.

In the UAE, this is overseen by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), he said.

Some airlines also require prospective pilots to provide criminal records from their country of residence as part of pre-employment screening, the pilot added.

One type of check-up is a Class 1 medical evaluation, which typically examines areas such as vision, hearing, cardiovascular and neurological health, as well as conditions that could cause sudden incapacity.

Regarding security screening, aviation rules require background checks for personnel having unescorted access to security restricted areas.

Psychological evaluations, drug and alcohol testing, and other evaluations may be required depending on the jurisdiction.

How did Israel allow him to fly?

Israel maintains some of the strictest aviation security measures in the world.

As a result, questions were raised about how the alleged attacker was allowed to operate a flight to Israel, when he was apparently an Omani national and Oman had no diplomatic relations with Israel.

According to the Haaretz newspaper, Israeli authorities received the lists of the crew and passengers of the Flydubai flight before its departure. Under a law passed in 2023, airlines are required to provide Israel with information about passengers and crew members, including their names and nationalities, up to 48 hours before a flight.

The Israeli tax authority confirmed to Haaretz that it had received the lists for the Flydubai flight. The outlet reported that the information is also supposed to be made available to Israeli security agencies, including Mossad, the police and the Shin Bet, to identify people who may pose a security risk.

According to security sources who spoke to Haaretz, the Transportation Ministry’s security department and Mossad are responsible for screening foreign crews and issuing alerts if problems arise.

However, two security sources told Haaretz that although the Transport Ministry takes responsibility “on paper”, it does not have its own intelligence capacity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has long-standing agreements with foreign airlines aimed at preventing pilots from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from flying there.

Netanyahu has called what happened a “failure” and Israel says it will now tighten its controls.

The UAE has not yet publicly established the motive or announced whether investigators believe al-Hammami acted alone.

UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said Saturday that the latest “terrorist” attack is another warning that the region’s fight against “extremism” is not over.

“This underlines the importance of the UAE’s strong and initial stance: no tolerance for extremism and no leniency towards its rhetoric. Security begins with confronting hatred and drying up the sources of extremism,” he posted on X.