Stories
Oman Reveals Barred Flydubai Co-Pilot Had Extremist Website Links
- •Oman stated that authorities had previously barred the Flydubai co-pilot from the aviation sector due to his interest in accessing extremist websites.
- •The Omani Embassy in New Delhi clarified that the Omani national had previously worked briefly as a trainee before leaving the country.
- •The co-pilot attacked the flight captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe and tried to take control of an Israel-bound Boeing 737 MAX 8 on September 30.
- •Passengers and off-duty pilots bravely intervened to restrain the attacker, allowing the flight to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Key Questions Answered
Omani authorities identified the co-pilot as having an interest in accessing extremist websites early on and barred him from working in the aviation sector, which eventually led him to leave the country.
The co-pilot attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe inside the cockpit and tried to seize control of the Israel-bound Boeing 737 MAX 8, causing the plane to plunge over 16,000 feet before passengers and on-board pilots intervened to restrain him and stabilise the aircraft.
Oman stated that flights between Israel and the UAE must be operated by pilots holding UAE nationality or from a nation that has normalised relations with Israel, suggesting potential negligence, oversight, or deliberate disregard by certain parties in procedures.
