Security Loopholes Exposed After Flydubai Co-Pilot Cleared Despite Extremism Concerns

Passengers board a flydubai flight, bound for Dubai, before taking off from Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026 [AFP]. A Flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking his captain with an emergency axe and attempting to seize control of the flight bound for Israel had previously been barred from flying over concerns about alleged “extremist” views, raising questions about how he was allowed to fly to Tel Aviv.

The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, according to multiple media reports. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has described the September 30 incident aboard Flight FZ1073 as an attempted “terrorist” operation. But investigators are still working to establish the motive and whether anyone else was connected to the attack, which has raised concerns about pilot vetting and aviation security.

Al-Hammami had previously been barred from flying in Oman because of concerns that he had adopted “extremist” views and was instead moved to an administrative role at Oman Air, according to sources who spoke to the AP news agency. He was subsequently hired by Flydubai. A Gulf diplomat told AP that al-Hammami had undergone standard security checks before being hired. It wasn’t immediately clear to what extent the co-pilot was vetted.

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

Background checks for commercial pilots vary by airline and country, with no single global standard governing the process, an airline pilot and instructor told Al Jazeera. The captain with an international airline who chose to remain anonymous said pilots are generally required to obtain aviation medical certification from the regulator in the country where they is licensed to fly. In the UAE, that is overseen by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), he said.

Israel has some of the world’s toughest aviation security measures. According to the Haaretz newspaper, Israeli authorities received the Flydubai flight’s crew and passenger lists before it departed. Under a law passed in 2023, airlines are required to provide information about passengers and crew members, including their names and nationalities, to Israel up to 48 hours before a flight. The Israel Tax Authority confirmed to Haaretz that it had received the lists for the Flydubai flight.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel has longstanding arrangements with foreign airlines aimed at preventing pilots who are nationals of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from flying there. Netanyahu has described what happened as a “loophole” and Israel says it will now strengthen its checks. Meanwhile, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash stated that the attack underscores the importance of the UAE's firm stance against extremism.