Accused flydubai plane hijacker is religious extremist who refused to shake women’s hands: ‘We hired a terrorist’

NY Post ^ | 10/01/2026 | Chris Bradford

[DFG]

The flydubai staffer accused of trying to hijack a plane carrying 174 people to Israel by stabbing the lead pilot was known as a religious extremist who refused to shake hands with women, according to a colleague.

The co-pilot responsible for what Israel’s defense minister called “a jihadist terrorist attack” Wednesday has not been named publicly, but was an Omani national who had worked for the airline for less than a year.

He was “someone characterized by very strange behavior, especially around religious observances that were out of step with his surroundings,” a fellow pilot told Israel’s Channel 16 journalist Yosef Yisrael.

--SNIP--

The colleague claimed flydubai – a sister airline of Emirates – had “betrayed” the Jewish State by hiring the pilot who others have said seemed desperate to crash the plane in another 9/11.

--SNIP--

“Usually only Emiratis fly to Israel. It is not clear how he got on this flight.”

It remains unclear how the Omani national was able to work the flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, which was eventually landed by two off-duty pilots in Saudi Arabia.

To land in Israel, pilots must hold passports from countries which have diplomatic relations with the Jewish State, and Israel and Oman do not have such diplomatic relations .

Miri Regev, the Israeli government’s transportation minister, called for the country’s Civil Aviation Authority to investigate whether the United Arab Emirates has breached its aviation agreement with Israel, the Times of Israel reported Wednesday, hours after the plane landed in Saudi Arabia by two relief pilots.

“This is a clear breach of the agreement,” a transportation ministry source told the Jerusalem Post – calling for Israel’s Security Agency to investigate.

Flydubai flights to and from Israel have been temporarily suspended and Israel is ramping up security checks on pilots.

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TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: dubai; emirates; flydubai; israel; oman

[ealgeone]

Any Muslim should be banned from being in the cockpit, working on maintenance or just around aviation in general.

[butlerweave]

I wouldn’t shake his hand either he wipes his backside with it

[SunkenCiv]

It remains unclear how the Omani national was able to work the flydubai flight to Tel Aviv...

Yeah, it's a real mystery.

[House Atreides]

That would certainly help aviation safety… but would never happen.

[Jane Long]

The co-pilot responsible for what Israel’s defense minister called “a jihadist terrorist attack” Wednesday has not been named publicly...

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Name him!

[Carl Vehse]

ealgeone @2: "Any Muslim should be banned from being in the cockpit, working on maintenance or just around aviation in general."

Let's just say being anywhere in or near western civilization.

[butlerweave]

They think they’ll extra points in Hell

[Kudsman]

You obviously haven’t flown into or out of Toronto’s Pearson airport lately. The place is lousy with swarthies.

[FreedomPoster]

Ding! Ding! Ding!

We have a winner!

[Donbue]

“…eventually landed by two off-duty pilots…”
One was a Russian pilot, the other a Ukrainian pilot.
You can’t make this stuff up!

[stanne]

Religion.

Ok

No

[AppyPappy]

Interesting with a plane full of Jews and some of them won’t shake a woman’s hand or even sit next to one.

[PGalt]

Yes, name him, his family, friends, mosque, home, acquaintances, etc., In this day of alt media can anyone be questioned or speak against him or for him? Information lock down?

[SoCal Pubbie]

Maybe you can’t, but apparently someone can. It’s been reported that this was an Internet joke that got picked up and repeated as fact.

[ealgeone]

I vote for that.

[Kudsman]

Abdulraham Mohamed El’Sayed. Or something similar.

[Red Badger]

They want to live in the 7th century.

So make them do so..........

[mikey_hates_everything]

To land in Israel, pilots must hold passports from countries which have diplomatic relations with the Jewish State, and Israel and Oman do not have such diplomatic relations.

Funny how diplomatic relations work. As if everyone in the country is on board with the "relations" created by diplomats.

Obviously the Omani pilot had no plans to *land* in Israel, therefore, by Muslim, in other words, Emerati and Omani, logic, no agreement was broken. It amazes me that Israelis would feel safe with agreements like this and feel comfortable flying on Muslim-owned airlines at all, much less into Israel.

[Zathras]

I think his target was Ben Gurion Airport.
It would have killed thousands and crippled Israel for 10 years.