Oman previously banned flydubai copilot from flying: WSJ

• Possessing extremist content in 2024 led Oman Air to reassign the copilot prior to his subsequent employment at Royal Air Maroc and flydubai.
• The copilot stabbed the captain and forced a 14,000-foot plunge before being subdued, forcing an emergency landing in Tabuk.
• 'Israeli' authorities forced flydubai to suspend all 'Israel'-bound flights following the suspect's admission of intent to crash in the country.

The unnamed flydubai copilot who attempted to crash a passenger aircraft filled with 'Israeli' travelers earlier this week had previously been banned from flying by Omani aviation authorities due to concerns over his radicalization, a Wall Street Journal report disclosed on Friday.

Despite prior security concerns in Muscat, the Omani national continued to operate flydubai's commercial route from Dubai to Tel Aviv, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

On Wednesday, the copilot stabbed the aircraft's captain in an attempted attack aimed at destroying the plane.

It remains unclear whether Omani authorities shared security warnings regarding the copilot with international agencies or commercial carriers.

Addressing the incident, 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that the perpetrator had "undergone Islamist radical indoctrination," without providing further details.

Suspect's history 

Reporting by US news networks CNN and ABC News revealed that Oman's national carrier, Oman Air, previously removed the attacker from pilot training after identifying his extremist views, reassigning him to a ground role.

Citing senior intelligence and law enforcement officials, ABC News reported that the suspect was found in possession of extremist material in 2024.

Additional background cited by CNN indicated that the suspect was born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and a Syrian mother and had resided in the UAE for several years.

Sources told CNN that he previously worked for Moroccan national carrier Royal Air Maroc, while an 'Israeli' official confirmed he had been employed by flydubai for eight months preceding the assault.

Passenger intervention 

The Boeing 737 aircraft was carrying 174 passengers -almost all of them 'Israelis'- when the copilot launched the knife attack inside the cockpit, sending the plane into a rapid 14,000-foot (4,267-meter) descent in less than 30 seconds.

Despite sustaining severe injuries, Captain Smit Machchhar allegedly managed to unlock the cockpit door.

'Israeli' passengers rushed into the flight deck, overpowering and restraining the copilot.

Alleged off-duty pilots traveling aboard the flight then took control of the controls and safely executed an emergency landing at Tabuk International Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Ongoing investigations

Following the landing, 'Israeli' passengers were returned home via a specialized repatriation flight arranged from Saudi Arabia.

Captain Machchhar was transported to the UAE for urgent medical treatment, while the suspect was transferred to Emirati authorities for interrogation.

According to ABC News, the suspect was "cooperating" with investigators and indicated that his intent was to crash the plane inside 'Israel'.

Flydubai Chief Executive Officer Ghaith Al Ghaith confirmed in a statement that a full investigation is underway, emphasizing the necessity of allowing official processes to establish all facts.

Meanwhile, 'Israeli' Channel 12 News alleged that while Emirati airline officials expressed a desire to resume commercial flights to Tel Aviv as early as Saturday, 'Israeli' security authorities forced flydubai to cancel all scheduled flights until further notice.

To accommodate stranded travelers, 'Israeli' carriers Arkia, Israir, and El Al initiated dedicated repatriation flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv.