Flydubai Hijacking: Could Hamam al-Hammami Have Been Stopped Before The Attack?

Fresh reports are raising questions over whether Hamam al-Hammami could have been stopped before the Flydubai FZ1073 cockpit attack. According to reporting, Omani authorities had previously scrutinised al-Hammami's online activity, reportedly found concerns over his interest in radical ideology, removed him from flying duties at Oman Air and placed him in a desk role after deradicalization programmes. However, the same reports suggest these concerns may not have been communicated more broadly to other authorities. Israeli media has also reported that al-Hammami travelled to Israel multiple times, allegedly making reconnaissance visits and gathering information about Ben Gurion Airport, while reportedly contemplating a similar attack as early as July. Investigators have yet to publicly confirm several of these claims, but the reports are raising wider questions over information-sharing, foreign pilot vetting and possible gaps in Israel's aviation security system.