The Flydubai co-pilot who stabbed the flight captain of flight FZ1073, which departed from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, bound for Tel Aviv, Israel, last Wednesday (September 30), does not have permission to pilot in Oman, where he was born, due to suspicions that he had adopted radical ideological views. The information, disclosed on condition of anonymity, was published by the Wall Street Journal on Saturday (October 3).
Despite the ban, he was hired by Flydubai, which allowed him to operate the route connecting the United Arab Emirates to Israel. According to the WSJ report, the attacker is an Omani citizen named Hamam al-Hammami, revealed by other sources involved in the ongoing investigation of the case.
On Thursday (the 1st), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the copilot had undergone “Islamic radicalization,” but without presenting evidence. “We are investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very high price,” Netanyahu said in a video message on Friday (the 2nd).
The statement aligns with that of President Donald Trump, who, late Thursday, said that the United States would launch a major attack against Iran if it is confirmed that the Persian country was responsible for the attack on the Flydubai flight. The American leader said he considers Tehran’s involvement in the case probable.
The attack triggered a crisis in the region’s aviation sector, raising questions about aviation security and affecting an already unsettled Middle East due to the war between the United States and Iran. The Israeli government issued security alerts for the local airspace. Flights originating from the United Arab Emirates only resumed landing in Israel this Saturday.
Dubai has become a popular destination for Israelis since Tel Aviv and Dubai established diplomatic relations in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, mediated by the United States, which aimed to normalize relations between Israel and Arab countries. (With international agencies)
