Australian authorities investigate links to Flydubai co-pilot who attacked captain on Tel Aviv-bound flight
Quick Look
- Australian authorities are investigating the links between Australia and a Flydubai co-pilot, identified by media as Hamam al-Hammami, who allegedly attacked the captain with a crash axe during a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight on September 30.
- Passengers overpowered him, and the plane was diverted to Saudi Arabia.
- The co-pilot, reported to be an Omani national, held an Australian student visa from 2014 to 2017, which was cancelled in 2019.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The co-pilot, identified by media as Hamam al-Hammami, was issued an Australian student visa in 2014 and studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017. His visa was cancelled in 2019 after he ceased enrollment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he was an Omani national.
Australian authorities are investigating the links between the country and a Flydubai co-pilot who attempted to take control of a plane travelling to Israel.
The co-pilot is alleged to have attacked the captain with a crash axe during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv before passengers managed to overpower him and successfully take control of the plane.
The Australian authorities have not identified the co-pilot, who has been named by multiple media outlets including Reuters, CNN and The New York Times as Hamam al-Hammami.
The prosecutor in the UAE has said it is investigating the incident and any possible motives.
In a statement to the BBC, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed its investigation into "the man's links to Australia".
The investigation involves state police and the country's security agency, it said, adding that an update would be "provided at the appropriate time".
Sources familiar with the case, who have spoken to Australian media, have said the co-pilot was issued a student visa in 2014, and studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017, until he left the country.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said the co-pilot's student visa was cancelled in 2019 as he was no longer enrolled in a course, making him ineligible for it.
Counter-terrorism officials will look at whether the man was radicalised in Australia, the ABC reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he was an Omani national.
The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on 30 September was carrying more than 170 passengers to Israel.
Two and a half hours into its journey, the plane plunged 17,000ft (5,200m) when the Omani co-pilot attacked the pilot with a crash axe, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general has said.
The pilot flying the plane, Capt Smit Machchhar, described how he was lying on the floor injured when he realised the plane was sinking and he had to act, explaining: "I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside", which allowed the passengers in.
Two reserve pilots then landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Australian Federal Police will release an update on the investigation into the co-pilot's links to Australia
Likely · Within weeks
UAE prosecutors will conclude their investigation and determine charges against the co-pilot
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- What was the co-pilot's motive for attacking the captain?
- Was the co-pilot radicalised during his time in Australia?
- What specific links to Australia are authorities investigating?
- Why was the flight diverted to Saudi Arabia instead of continuing to Tel Aviv or returning to Dubai?
