CBS reports that Flydubai hired the Omani co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, without conducting a background check with the Omani government, which had previously flagged his visits to extremist websites. An Israeli security official told CBS that authorities are investigating whether the incident was an attempted 9/11-style terror attack.
The Zioneer reports: New details from a CBS investigation reveal that Flydubai hired the Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami without conducting a background check with the Omani government, which had previously flagged him as a security concern. According to the report, the Omani government monitored al-Hammami while he worked for Oman Air, finding he had visited extremist websites, leading to his reassignment to an office role and subsequent resignation.
An Israeli security official told CBS that authorities are examining whether the September 30 incident was an attempted 9/11-style attack — a deliberate attempt to crash the aircraft into Israeli territory.
This development adds to the growing body of evidence in the ongoing investigation. As The Zioneer has reported, the incident began when al-Hammami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with an emergency crash axe mid-flight; passengers subdued him before an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia (UAE identification report, Oct 3, 22:22 Jerusalem). Israeli investigators have since arrived in the UAE to question the suspect (i24NEWS, Oct 3, 20:19 Jerusalem). Earlier reports linked al-Hammami to Iran (Israel Hayom, Oct 3, 19:51 Jerusalem), and a CNN investigation found his deleted LinkedIn contained al-Qaeda imagery and Israeli aircraft footage (Oct 2, 04:11 Jerusalem).
The CBS report raises questions about vetting procedures for airline personnel in the Gulf region. It remains unconfirmed whether other airlines were aware of the Omani government's concerns prior to the incident.
2 developments
- StrongIsraeli assessment now sees Flydubai pilot as lone actor, i24 reports
- ConfirmedFlydubai co-pilot reportedly targeted Tel Aviv-bound flights months before attack, sought airlines flying to Israel
- StrongForeign reports claim Iran-Pakistan link in Flydubai hijacking attempt
- StrongItalian investigation reveals Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with emergency axe, shut down both engines over Saudi desert
Source and signal
- Open-source intake