Media: Oman did not inform the airline about the Flydubai pilot's radical views
The Omani authorities, who had earlier grounded the first officer of a Flydubai flight, did not inform a wider circle of people about his radical views.
This was reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing sources.
According to their information, during the pilot's employment at the state-owned company Oman Air from 2022 to 2025, the Omani authorities thoroughly examined his online behavior and concluded that he was showing "too much interest in radical ideology." He was grounded and sent to a deradicalization program, but they did not report their concerns to a wider circle of people, WSJ reports.
It is noted that Flydubai checked the pilot for a criminal record before hiring him, but did not contact Oman to obtain information about his previous work experience. The UAE authorities are conducting an investigation into the employees involved in the process of hiring the pilot, the newspaper claims.
On September 30, a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing at the airport of the Saudi city of Tabuk due to a security incident. On October 1, the Saudi Interior Ministry confirmed that the cause was an attack by the first officer on the aircraft's captain, as a result of which both sustained injuries of varying severity. The agency specified that after their health improved, both pilots flew to Abu Dhabi accompanied by Emirati security officers, while the other six crew members had earlier safely returned to Dubai. The UAE authorities are continuing to investigate the causes and circumstances of what happened, including a review of operational aspects and safety measures.
