The co-pilot who hijacked a Flydubai flight carrying 174 passengers and stabbed his captain on Wednesday was previously banned from flying by Oman over his radical beliefs.
Israeli officials identified the hijacker as an Omani national, but according to a Wall Street Journal report, the individual was banned from operating an aircraft by the country. Despite the ban, the attacker was hired by Flydubai eight months ago.
The outlet said the co-pilot was banned because of his radical ideological beliefs, but the nature of those views was unknown. It was not clear whether Oman shared its concerns about the individual with other countries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the suspect was Omani and may have been radicalized into Islamist beliefs. Netanyahu also said the suspect called for authorities to “kill” him after he was restrained, which he characterized as evidence that the man intended to die in a suicide attack.
On Wednesday, the co-pilot stabbed his captain and attempted to send Flydubai Flight 1073 toward disaster. The flight had departed from Dubai and was headed toward Tel Aviv, Israel, carrying mainly Israeli passengers. About two hours into the flight, the aircraft rapidly lost altitude, dropping from about 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in roughly a minute, before other members of the Flydubai crew intervened and helped stabilize the plane.
The plane was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar was able to open the door to the cockpit to allow passengers in to restrain the attacker. Machchhar was hospitalized due to his injuries, but recounted the crucial moments aboard the aircraft during a video call with Netanyahu.
“I was lying on the floor injured, but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside,” Machchhar said.
Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates are investigating the hijacker to uncover the key questions surrounding the suspect’s identity, motive, and how a weapon entered the cockpit.
SAUDI ARABIA, ISRAEL, AND UAE WORK TOGETHER ON INVESTIGATION INTO FLYDUBAI SUSPECT: WHAT TO KNOW
The UAE’s attorney general has directed an investigation into whether the incident was connected to a terrorist plot, whether it involved prior planning or direction, and what motivated the attack. The suspect is currently in the UAE.
The investigation includes several countries because the incident involved an aircraft registered in the UAE, an Israeli destination, and a landing in Saudi Arabia.