The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight with an ax and attempting to take over the controls is an Omani national who had been blocked from flying for his country's airline because of concerns about extremist views, officials said Saturday, according to Arab News.
Three people with knowledge of the situation, among them a Gulf diplomat and a Western diplomat, identified the co-pilot as Hamam Al-Hammami, Arab News reported. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
