Omani pilot who allegedly tried to crash a flydubai jet on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight had failed stints with airlines in Oman and Morocco before being hired by the carrier as a part of “rapid post-pandemic recruitment drive”, Wall Street Journal reported.The 29-year-old pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, joined flydubai in February as the airline was rapidly rebuilding its workforce after the pandemic. The recruitment of the pilot has now come under scrutiny following the attempted crash.Flydubai has built its network around destinations that some Western carriers have avoided because of security or operational challenges. The airline operates routes to places including Kabul and Damascus, and continued flying to Tel Aviv even after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, when several other carriers suspended services.Its staff strength nearly doubled from 3,682 in 2021 to 6,763 by the end of 2025. Its pilot numbers also rose to about 1,500 from 658 a decade earlier, according to company figures, the report said.The airline had stepped up recruitment as air travel recovered, conducting hiring drives and expanding pilot training and cadet programmes.The first officer allegedly attacked the captain with an axe during the flight in an attempt to bring down the Boeing aircraft. The attempt failed and the plane did not crash. Flydubai said it was cooperating with investigators following the incident.“The safety and wellbeing of our passengers, crew and operations remain our highest priority,” the airline said.The Dubai-Tel Aviv route has been suspended since the incident.
