AP report: Ax-wielding FlyDubai co-pilot had been flagged over extremism concerns

The UAE, which is heading the inquiry, says the first officer on a Wednesday flight toward Israel struck the captain with the emergency ax kept in the cockpit and attempted to gain command of the descending aircraft. Officials labeled the episode a "terrorist attack." The jet was carrying 182 people and was close to crashing until travelers and crew members intervened to restrain him.

Three sources familiar with the case identified the first officer as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani citizen. A regional official said he was born in the Emirates to a Syrian mother and received Omani citizenship through his Omani father. The same official said he had visited Syria, without providing further information.

Before joining FlyDubai, the pilot had worked for Oman Air but was removed from flight duties and reassigned to office work after concerns emerged that he held radical opinions, according to a regional official and another source. Both asked not to be named while the inquiry continues. No specifics about those alleged opinions were released.

The account has prompted scrutiny of FlyDubai's hiring practices and of how a pilot from a country lacking formal ties with Israel ended up assigned to a route largely carrying Israeli travelers. Israel says it has understandings with overseas airlines to prevent such assignments. The episode occurred about a week before the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led assault that led to the Gaza war, and shortly before an Israeli election dominated by security debates.

Investigators from four countries in the region, with assistance from the United States and other Western governments, are still working to determine a motive. A Gulf diplomat said routine background screening before his hiring appeared to focus on criminal convictions rather than deeper ideological risks. The diplomat added that no links to armed organizations have been discovered so far, pointing to possible solo action, though the probe remains unfinished.