Suspect in FlyDubai incident was previously identified as security risk: Officials

FlyDubai Co-Pilot in Israel-Bound Flight Incident Had Earlier Security Concerns

Tyunews.com – Investigators are examining how an Omani national previously flagged over extremist material was able to serve as first officer on a FlyDubai flight headed to Israel before an alleged attempt to seize control of the aircraft on Wednesday.

The aircraft avoided catastrophe after its captain, Smit Machchhar, resisted an alleged assault in the cockpit and passengers moved to restrain the co-pilot. The plane, which had entered a rapid descent, was ultimately brought safely to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Earlier suspension at Oman Air

Senior intelligence and law enforcement officials said the suspect had been suspended from flying while training as a co-pilot at Oman Air in 2024. He had been identified as a security concern after extremist material was found in his possession.

Rather than leaving the airline completely, the man was permitted to remain in an administrative post, officials said. Authorities are now seeking to establish how he later obtained a flying role at FlyDubai and reached the cockpit of a passenger aircraft operating toward Israel.

The suspect was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday. People briefed on the inquiry said he has been cooperating with investigators and indicated that he intended to crash the aircraft in Israel.

FlyDubai, Oman Air and the Omani Embassy did not immediately provide comment on the matter.

Passengers intervened as flight descended

The incident turned on the actions of Machchhar and passengers who rushed forward after the confrontation began. Several people helped subdue the alleged attacker, who was later restrained outside the cockpit.

Israeli plumber Yaniv Hayoun was among those involved. He said he pulled back on the controls in an effort to stabilize the plane until a third pilot, traveling as a passenger, took over flight duties.

A FlyDubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 had prepared to land at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in Lod on Sept. 30, 2026, underscoring the route and aircraft type at the center of the investigation. The emergency landing in Tabuk brought the immediate danger to an end, but it has raised significant questions about cockpit access, pilot screening and the checks performed when aviation employees change carriers.

Commercial aviation relies on multiple layers of protection, including flight crew procedures, secure cockpit doors, airline oversight and passenger intervention in exceptional circumstances. This case has drawn attention to how those safeguards functioned under intense pressure and whether information about a prior security concern was adequately shared or acted upon.

Witness recounts encounter with suspect

Dr. Shota Musaev, another passenger who went toward the front of the aircraft, said the restrained man identified himself as being from Oman. Musaev described seeing him bloodied on the floor outside the cockpit after the struggle.

Musaev said the suspect at one stage pleaded for his life to be ended.

“He said, ‘Kill me please, kill me please,’” Musaev said.

Israeli officials are expected to participate in questioning the suspect, officials said. The investigation is also expected to focus on whether anyone assisted, directed or influenced the alleged plot.

Tel Aviv operations paused

FlyDubai said Friday that it had temporarily halted its Tel Aviv operations at the request of authorities. The carrier said a formal investigation was being conducted by relevant authorities with FlyDubai’s full support.

“Temporarily suspended operations to Tel Aviv until further notice,” the airline said in a statement attributed to its chief executive officer.

The pause reflects the seriousness of the incident and the need for investigators to reconstruct events before normal operations can resume. Authorities will need to review the suspect’s employment history, training records, licensing status and the security processes that governed his transition from Oman Air to FlyDubai.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that the suspect had undergone “Islamist radicalization.” He said investigators were considering whether the man had been sent by another party.

“He came to crash the plane with all passengers on board,” Netanyahu said in a video released by his office. “We are investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price.”

Netanyahu also praised Hayoun and the other passengers who intervened, describing their actions as preventing a tragedy comparable to 9/11. Their response, together with Machchhar’s resistance and the assistance of the third pilot, became central to preventing further loss of control.

For passengers and aviation workers, the case highlights the importance of rapid coordination in a crisis. It also places renewed emphasis on the systems intended to detect potential security threats before they reach an active flight deck. The central unresolved issue remains how a pilot with an earlier security warning was later assigned to an Israel-bound commercial service.