CAIRO (AP) — The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of an Israel-bound flight with an ax and trying to take over the controls was an Omani national who had been banned from flying on an airline in his country due to concerns about extremist views, officials said Saturday. The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, including a Western and Gulf diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The United Arab Emirates, which is leading the investigation, said the co-pilot attacked with the crash ax from the cockpit and tried to take control of the sharply falling plane in a “terrorist attack” on Wednesday. His actions nearly crashed the flight with 182 people on board before passengers and others rushed in and subdued him. The new details raised questions about how thoroughly FlyDubai vets potential employees and how the co-pilot’s presence on a flight full of Israeli passengers overcame Israel’s strict security protocols. Israel’s government has said it has agreements with foreign airlines to prevent pilots from nations without diplomatic ties from flying there. Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations. The UAE government has earned a reputation for taking effective measures against extremist activities, but has in the past been angered by criticism of security failures. The incident occurred at a sensitive time for Israel, a week before the anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza. It also came weeks before a highly contentious election in which security and the security failures of October 7 have been central issues. Related Videos 1:44 US and Saudi Arabia investigate after FlyDubai captain was attacked by co-pilot on Israel-bound flight Previous video Next video FlyDubai hired co-pilot after Oman Air banned him Get daily national news Get daily Canadian news delivered to your inbox so you never miss the day’s top stories. Separately, a regional official and a person familiar with the matter said Oman had banned the co-pilot from flying over fears he had espoused extremist views. The official said he was transferred to an administrative job at Oman Air. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. They did not provide details about the alleged extremist views. The co-pilot was later hired by United Arab Emirates-based airline FlyDubai, the person said. It was not immediately clear to what extent the co-pilot was investigated. The Gulf diplomat said he had undergone standard security checks before being hired, but the checks appear to have focused on whether he had been convicted of criminal charges and did not delve into examining his background for possible signs of radicalization. The regional official also said security agencies from four countries in the region were working to establish the co-pilot’s motives, with help from the United States and other Western governments. The Gulf diplomat said investigations were trying to establish whether the co-pilot acted alone or “has any connection with any extremist group.” The regional official said the co-pilot was born in the United Arab Emirates and his mother is Syrian. He obtained Omani nationality from his father, also an Omani citizen. The regional official also said the co-pilot had traveled to Syria, without giving details. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that the co-pilot had suffered “Islamist radicalization,” but provided no evidence. There was no immediate comment Saturday from Israel’s government. More about the world More videos A social media account was deleted on the day of the flight. A FlyDubai spokesperson said in an email that the airline could not comment beyond its official statements and acknowledged that “there are many questions at this time.” There was no immediate comment from Oman Air and the Oman government has said nothing publicly in response to repeated questions since the incident. In a statement to the AP, Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s national airline, said the co-pilot “completed a three-month theoretical training period with the airline in 2025, as part of the pre-employment process. At the end of this training period, his application was not selected for employment.” There were no details. Keith Coles, a spokesman for Buckinghamshire New University in England, told the AP that al-Hammami previously completed a distance learning course in aviation management there, but “did not undertake any pilot training.” There were no details about the timing. Little else was immediately known about the co-pilot’s background. His Instagram account was active until the day of the flight and was then deleted. The captain and passengers have described the drama on board. Airlines are typically required to carry crash axes in the cabin that could be used in an emergency to open a window to escape or open a panel to access a fire. The captain, who was seriously injured in the ax attack, said he used his remaining energy while under attack to unlock the cockpit door, allowing people who had noticed alarmingly unusual sounds to enter, board the co-pilot and stabilize themselves. The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a descent so extreme that part of the rudder was torn off, and aviation experts have marveled that it did not crash. FlyDubai has said the crew on the plane helped stabilize the plane and land. They have not yet been publicly identified. Both the captain and co-pilot were later taken to the United Arab Emirates. The passengers, most of them Israelis, flew home later Wednesday on a separate plane, to cheers.___Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Anna from Jerusalem. AP Washington Bureau Chief Anna Johnson in Washington, aviation writer Josh Funk and Sam Metz in Jerusalem contributed. © 2026 The Canadian Press