UAE Shared FlyDubai Flight Details with Israel, Security Lapses Identified

Israeli authorities received a list of passengers and crew aboard a FlyDubai flight from the United Arab Emirates before its co-pilot attempted to hijack the aircraft on Wednesday, but did not flag any concerns. The UAE shared the information, including nationalities, with Israel ahead of the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, raising questions about why potential red flags were missed. The co-pilot, Hamam al Hammami, a 33-year-old Omani national, had previously been barred from flying in Oman due to extremist views and was later hired by Flydubai after standard security checks. Al Hammami allegedly attacked the Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, with an axe before attempting to take control of the plane, which ultimately made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

The incident has prompted scrutiny of security procedures. Israel’s Shin Bet security service stated Transportation Minister Miri Regev is responsible for vetting passenger lists on foreign flights, but Regev countered that security agencies handle aviation security and that her ministry received neither the passenger list nor warnings about the flight. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tasked the National Security Council with reviewing security protocols for foreign civilian flights to Israel. A joint investigation involving Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the UAE is underway to determine the co-pilot’s motive and how a weapon was brought into the cockpit. Al Hammami had previously worked for Oman Air but was reassigned to an administrative role due to concerns about his extremist views. Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, and Netanyahu noted existing guidelines intended to prevent pilots from countries without diplomatic ties from operating flights to Israel.

Where they differ

• The Washington Examiner emphasized that the co-pilot had previously been barred from flying in Oman due to extremist views, while PBS NewsHour presented this information later in the report.
• The Washington Examiner highlighted Netanyahu’s statement regarding guidelines for pilots from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel, a detail not prominently featured in the PBS NewsHour report.
• The Washington Examiner framed the incident as raising questions about security failures, while PBS NewsHour presented it as an investigation underway with preliminary details highlighting security lapses.

What is not yet known

• The co-pilot’s specific motive for attempting to hijack the flight remains under investigation.
• The extent to which standard security checks failed to identify the co-pilot’s extremist views is still being determined.

Background

• The UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Israel are all involved in the investigation, with varying degrees of diplomatic relations between them [Fact Refinery, 2026-10-03].
• FlyDubai is an airline based in the UAE, operating flights including the Dubai to Tel Aviv route at the center of this incident [Fact Refinery, 2026-09-30].
• Hamam al Hammami, the co-pilot, was previously flagged as a security risk by Oman Air due to possession of extremist materials and was barred from flying in Oman [Fact Refinery, 2026-10-03].
• The UAE and Iran recently severed economic ties following alleged missile attacks originating from Iran [Fact Refinery, 2026-08-19].

Our reading

Our reading is that this incident reveals significant lapses in security protocols despite information being shared between nations. The fact that a known security risk was able to be hired and operate a flight on a sensitive route, even after passenger lists were shared, suggests a breakdown in vetting processes. The conflicting statements from Israeli officials regarding responsibility for passenger list review further highlight the lack of clear accountability.

What to watch

• The findings of the joint investigation into the co-pilot’s motive and how the weapon was brought onboard [ongoing investigation, multiple sources].
• The National Security Council’s review of security protocols for foreign civilian flights to Israel and any resulting recommendations [Prime Minister Netanyahu, stated in article].
• Any changes to aviation security procedures or international agreements regarding pilots from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel [Netanyahu statement, stated in article].

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