A fresh detail has emerged about the accused Omani national co-pilot who allegedly attacked the captain and tried to interfere with the controls of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. His colleagues described the Omani co-pilot as very religious and he prayed frequently and refused to shake hands with women, according to several Israeli media reports.
As of now, his identity has not been disclosed. Israeli officials have so far identified him only as an Omani national who was employed by flydubai .
According to several Israeli media reports, he had been working for the Dubai-based airline for less than a year, with some reports putting his tenure at around nine months.
He was co-piloting flydubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, on September 30 when he reportedly stabbed an Indian national identified as Smit Machchar in the cockpit. The aircraft made an emergency landing at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where authorities took the co-pilot into custody.
Israeli authorities are investigating the incident, including whether it amounted to an attempted terrorist attack. As of now, the motive has not been established.
About the Omani Co-Pilot
The Omani national was serving as the first officer, or co-pilot, aboard FZ1073. He was operating alongside Machchar, the pilot in command. flydubai is a Dubai-based airline with an international workforce, and he was working for flydubai in the UAE.
However, pilots flying commercial or military aircraft into or for Israel must meet specific legal, security, and licensing requirements, depending on whether they fly for a commercial airline or the Israeli Air Force (IAF).
Consequently, Israeli authorities are reportedly investigating how the Omani national was cleared and assigned to a flight bound for Israel.
For foreign commercial pilots flying for international airlines like flydubai , operating a flight into Israel requires meeting specific diplomatic, operational, and security mandates rather than converting to a local licence.
Following the incident, Israel is severely ramping up security vetting and operational checks for all foreign flight crews entering its airspace.
The issue has, moreover, attracted attention because Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
Israeli authorities are examining the crew arrangements for the Dubai-Tel Aviv route and whether the Omani co-pilot met all the requirements for operating a flight into Israel. Several reports have raised the possibility that he may have held another passport, although there is no official confirmation that he had dual nationality.
Another possibility under examination is whether there was an issue in flydubai 's crew assignment or clearance procedures.
Now, Israeli authorities plan to increase the security vetting of pilots following the episode.
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What Happened on Sept 30?
The Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Machchar with a knife and attempted to interfere with the aircraft's controls. In an interview with Fox News, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that despite Machchar being badly wounded and bleeding profusely, he managed to unlock the cockpit door as the aircraft went into a nosedive, allowing passengers and other crew members to intervene and stop the attacker.
Netanyahu said Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun then rushed from row 16 toward the cockpit as the plane swerved. Hayoun was knocked off his feet but managed to enter the cockpit when the aircraft momentarily stabilised.
According to Netanyahu, Hayoun saw the attacking pilot "trying to jam the instruments".
"He grabbed him from behind, pulled him back, got into the pilot's seat, and pulled the stick back," he said.
"Two others, an Israeli and another passenger or crew member then "corralled the attacker", after which reserve crew members travelling with the passengers entered the cockpit and "managed to stabilise the plane".