Australian agencies probe flydubai co-pilot's two years in the country after alleged cockpit attack
Australian security agencies are investigating the past links of the flydubai co-pilot accused of trying to hijack a Tel Aviv-bound flight, who spent about two years studying in Australia. The man, named as Hammam al-Hammami, had earlier been barred from flying by Oman before joining the airline.
Australian authorities have opened an investigation into the Australian connections of a flydubai co-pilot accused of attempting to seize control of a flight bound for Tel Aviv. The man, identified by multiple media outlets as Omani national Hammam al-Hammami, allegedly tried to take over the aircraft on Wednesday before passengers and crew stepped in to stop him.
The flight, carrying 182 people, dropped 16,625 feet (5,067 metres) in just over 30 seconds during the incident. The United Arab Emirates' prosecutor general said the co-pilot used a crash axe in what was described as an attempted terrorist attack, during which the pilot was stabbed while airborne.
According to a source familiar with the matter who was not authorised to speak publicly, the co-pilot received an Australian student visa in 2014 and began a university course the following year. He left Australia in 2017, and his visa was cancelled in 2019 once officials confirmed he was no longer enrolled.
The Australian federal police said on Sunday that several agencies, including the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, are examining the man's history in the country. A police spokesperson said Victoria's Joint Counter Terrorism Team, made up of federal police, Victoria Police and the intelligence agency, is investigating his links to Australia and would provide updates when appropriate.
US outlets including CNN reported that a now-deleted LinkedIn profile indicated al-Hammami had studied engineering at an Australian university, though the specific institution has not been verified. Separately, Buckinghamshire New University in Britain said a student with a similar name had completed a distance-learning course in aviation management there, but had not undertaken pilot training.
flydubai said the circumstances of the incident remain under investigation and it could not comment further. The airline has suspended flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv indefinitely. Both the co-pilot and the flight's Indian captain were taken to the UAE, which is leading the investigation along with several other countries, including Israel. The Wall Street Journal reported that Oman had previously barred the co-pilot from flying over concerns about extremist views, moving him to an administrative role at Oman Air before he was later hired by flydubai.
