Oman barred Flydubai co-pilot over extremist website interest, cites background check gaps

Oman stated Monday that it had identified the Flydubai co-pilot as having an interest in extremist websites, barred him from its aviation sector, and said he subsequently left the country. The Omani official said authorities received no requests from other nations for background checks on the individual, adding that such information would have been shared if asked. The co-pilot, an Omani national born in the UAE, had worked briefly as a trainee before being prevented from flying. Oman suggested the incident points to procedural failures under the Israel-UAE aviation agreement, which restricts pilots to certain nationalities, and noted possible negligence or deliberate disregard. The co-pilot attacked the Indian captain on September 30, causing a steep descent before passengers intervened.