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

On Saturday, it was reported that the co-pilot suspected of stabbing the captain on an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight was an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami. Three sources close to the situation, including a Gulf and Western diplomat, confirmed this information under anonymity due to their unauthorised media status. The diplomat added that the investigation is currently ongoing to determine if al-Hammami acted alone or had any ties to extremist groups.

According to officials, the co-pilot's actions nearly resulted in a catastrophic crash involving 182 passengers. This individual had previously been barred from flying by Oman due to concerns that he had adopted extremist views. It was later revealed that despite this, al-Hammami was hired by FlyDubai, an airline based in the United Arab Emirates.

The hiring of al-Hammami was discussed anonymously by a person familiar with the ongoing investigation, who could not confirm the extent of his background checks during the hiring process. The first report of Oman's ban on al-Hammami appeared in The Wall Street Journal. The details of how al-Hammami managed to secure the position remain unclear.