FlyDubai incident: Co-pilot who attacked Captain Smit Machchhar removed by Oman Air for radical views? New Claims | Today’s news
The FlyDubai incident is currently under investigation. Recently, the Israeli government revealed the identity of the co-pilot who allegedly tried to crash a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv with more than 170 passengers on board. The co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, 29, is said to be an Omani national who attacked Captain Smit Machchhar mid-air in the cockpit.
New details on the surface of the FlyDubai co-pilot
In the midst of this, new information about al-Hammami appeared on the Internet. According to Bloomberg, the co-pilot previously flew planes for Oman Air. Citing people close to the incident, the report claimed that al-Hammami had been removed from his previous job for espousing radical views.
Live Mint could not independently verify the claims.
Meanwhile, several details about al-Hammami, including his motive behind the attack, remain unknown.
Latest update from the investigation
Earlier, Saudi investigators said both Captain Smit Machchhar and Hamam al-Hammami had been transferred to Abu Dhabi for further investigation. Machchhar is currently recovering, although not much is known about the current status of the investigation.
On Saturday, investigators in the United Arab Emirates said the co-pilot attempted to “commit an act of terrorism” by attacking his colleague with an ax, according to Reuters. The ax that was used as a weapon was reportedly stored in the cockpit in case of an emergency. It is believed that the co-pilot tried to take control of the plane in an attempt to crash the commercial flight.
What happened during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv
The aircraft sent distress signals and made a rapid descent of more than 17,000 feet from an altitude of 34,000 feet.
The ‘hero’ captain, who hails from India, managed to open the cockpit door despite being seriously injured in the attack, prompting the passengers and backup crew on board to be subdued by al-Hammam.
Fortunately, the flight managed to land safely at an airport in Saudi Arabia on September 30 after people stabilized the plane.
Machchhar receives praise from all over the world for his courage and bravery.
FlyDubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said in a statement earlier that they still had “many questions” about what happened on board flight FZ1073. He added that it was “important that we allow this process to find out the facts”.
Why the Omani co-pilot on the FlyDubai flight is controversial
Authorities are believed to be investigating the connection of the Omani co-pilot and how he became part of the crew of the Tel Aviv-bound flight, as Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic ties, limiting their citizens’ access to the other country.
