Dubai [UAE], October 3: The co-pilot on the flydubai flight that crashed on September 30th, who is accused of attacking the captain and deliberately crashing the plane into Israel, has been identified as having been suspended from flying by Oman Air for possessing extremist materials.
CNN reported on October 2nd that the suspect in the attack on the Flydubai flight captain bound for Tel Aviv, Israel, on September 30th was an Omani citizen. Notably, he had been a trainee pilot for Oman's national airline, Oman Air, until 2024, but was suspended after authorities discovered he possessed extremist materials and was deemed a potential security threat.
Following the incident, the suspect was only given an administrative job before moving on to work for Royal Air Maroc (Morocco's national airline) and then joining flydubai for a mere 8 months.
The tragedy on the flybudai was averted thanks to the resistance of Captain Smit Machchhar and the courageous assistance of the passengers. According to the investigation, the suspect deliberately pushed the plane into a dive in an attempt to crash into Israel but was ultimately subdued. Doctor Shota Musaev, a passenger who participated in the rescue, recounted that the suspect was covered in blood, tied to the floor outside the cockpit, and repeatedly shouted, "Please kill me," according to ABC News.
Another passenger helped control the controls to stabilize the aircraft before a third pilot on board took over. The flight then landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
On October 1st, the suspect was transferred to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for further investigation into the terrorism allegations. Intelligence sources indicate the suspect is cooperating and has confessed to initially intending to destroy the aircraft in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested the suspect may have undergone a period of radical Islamic indoctrination.
Currently, numerous Israeli security agencies (including Mossad intelligence) are urgently investigating how an Omani citizen - from a country that does not recognize Israel - was able to pass rigorous background checks and work on a flight to Tel Aviv. Flydubai has temporarily suspended all flights to Tel Aviv to facilitate the investigation.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper