Officials say Israel received crew information before Flight FZ1073, sharpening scrutiny of how the Omani co-pilot was cleared for the route.
TEL AVIV, Israel — New details about information shared before a Flydubai flight was nearly lost in a cockpit attack are widening questions about pilot vetting and security screening across borders, as authorities in several countries examine how the co-pilot was assigned to an Israel-bound aircraft.
Regional officials said the United Arab Emirates provided Israel with passenger and crew information before Flight FZ1073 departed Dubai on Sept. 30, including the nationalities of those aboard. Israeli authorities did not flag a passenger or crew member before departure, according to officials familiar with the process. The disclosure adds another layer to an investigation that now stretches across several countries and security agencies.
The UAE, which is leading the investigation, said Saturday that the co-pilot attacked the captain with a cockpit crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft in what its attorney-general called an attempted terrorist act. The flight entered a steep descent before passengers and crew intervened. Other pilots traveling aboard the plane helped regain control and the aircraft eventually landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Officials familiar with the co-pilot’s background told The Associated Press that he previously had been barred from flying for Oman Air because of concerns over alleged extremist views and moved to an administrative job. He was later hired by Flydubai. The airline has not publicly detailed the checks performed before his hiring, and Oman has not publicly addressed those accounts.
A Gulf diplomat told the AP that the co-pilot had undergone standard security checks before being hired, but said those checks appeared to focus largely on criminal convictions rather than a broader examination for signs of radicalization. The investigation has not concluded, and authorities have not announced evidence tying the co-pilot to an organized militant group.
The case has also focused attention on the co-pilot’s nationality. He has been identified by officials and news organizations as an Omani citizen. Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel has arrangements with foreign airlines intended to prevent citizens of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from serving as pilots on flights into the country.
It remains unclear how the co-pilot came to be assigned to the Tel Aviv flight despite that policy. Israeli agencies also have disputed where responsibility lies for examining information supplied by foreign carriers. Israel’s domestic security agency has pointed to the Transportation Ministry’s role in reviewing foreign-flight information, while transportation officials have said they rely heavily on security checks performed in the country where a flight originates.
Aviation security specialists say international background screening can be complicated because governments and airlines do not all have access to the same intelligence, employment records or security information. Information that prompts action inside one country may not automatically be available to an airline or foreign authority elsewhere. Those limits have become central to the questions surrounding Flight FZ1073.
Israel moved quickly after the incident to order stronger checks involving pilots on foreign and domestic carriers serving the country. On Sunday, Netanyahu also instructed the National Security Council to arrange a broad review of security involving foreign civilian aviation. The steps come as Israeli officials examine both the co-pilot’s assignment and the procedures used before foreign flights enter Israeli airspace.
The investigation has also expanded beyond the Middle East. Australian federal police said a joint counterterrorism team was examining the co-pilot’s links to Australia after sources said he studied in Melbourne about a decade ago. Investigators have not publicly said that his time in Australia was connected to the attack, and authorities continue to examine his history and possible motive.
Flydubai has said it is cooperating with the authorities and has declined to go beyond its official statements while the investigation continues. The UAE has said investigators are reviewing physical and digital evidence and any possible connections to the incident. Until those findings are released, central questions remain about what information existed before the flight, who had access to it and whether existing aviation security procedures should have prevented the co-pilot from being assigned to the route.
Author note: Last updated October 4, 2026.