Co-pilot in FlyDubai incident is identified as Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami

Cairo — Investigations are underway to determine whether the co-pilot involved in the stabbing incident aboard a FlyDubai flight bound for Israel is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami, according to three sources with knowledge of the situation. One of these sources is a Gulf and Western diplomat who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to not being authorized to release information to the media.

The diplomat stated that authorities are examining whether al-Hammami acted alone or had connections to extremist groups.

Officials revealed that the co-pilot nearly caused the crash of the aircraft carrying 182 passengers when he attacked the captain with a knife. The plane narrowly avoided disaster as passengers and crew members subdued the attacker. Al-Hammami had previously been barred from flying by Oman due to concerns that he had adopted extremist views, according to a person familiar with the case. This individual, too, spoke anonymously to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Although it is not yet known how thoroughly al-Hammami was vetted during his hiring by FlyDubai, a UAE-based airline, the ban imposed by Oman was initially reported by The Wall Street Journal. The extent of the co-pilot's background checks upon his employment remains unclear.