Australian authorities are investigating the links to Australia of the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073, who allegedly attacked the captain and attempted to take control of the aircraft during a flight from Dubai to Israel, police said.
The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, comprising the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), is investigating the man’s links to Australia, an Australian Federal Police spokesperson said.
Two sources familiar with the investigation said the co-pilot had studied at a university in Melbourne. A third source said he attended RMIT University about a decade ago.
RMIT confirmed that the co-pilot had been enrolled at the university but did not complete an engineering qualification. The institution did not identify him or disclose when he studied there.
Co-pilot identified as Omani national
Two sources briefed on the investigation identified the co-pilot as Omani national Hamam Al-Hammami.
Israeli officials have said the co-pilot is from Oman but have not publicly named him. UAE authorities and flydubai have also not disclosed his identity.
Al-Hammami is currently in UAE custody. Reuters was unable to reach him for comment, and the UAE has not announced formal charges against him or disclosed whether he has legal representation. Oman has not publicly commented on the incident.
The incident occurred on Wednesday aboard flight FZ1073, which was carrying more than 170 passengers and crew from Dubai to Israel.
According to the UAE prosecutor general, the co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency crash axe in what authorities described as a terrorist attack.
Passengers and crew subdue co-pilot
The situation was brought under control after passengers and crew members subdued the co-pilot. Israeli officials said he had attempted to crash the aircraft, while the UAE public prosecutor said he had tried to take control of the plane.
A reserve flydubai pilot who was travelling on the flight took control of the aircraft and landed it safely at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities before being transferred to the UAE on Thursday.
‘Plumber’ helped save plunging Flydubai plane after cockpit attack: Trump
An aviation instructor who recreated the aircraft’s descent in a flight simulator for Reuters said the plane plunged about 16,000 feet in roughly 30 seconds before the reserve pilot stabilised it.
Most of the passengers were Israeli nationals.
Reports raise further security questions
The Financial Times reported Sunday that Al-Hammami had allegedly visited extremist websites while studying in Australia, citing two people familiar with the investigation. The newspaper also reported that Australian intelligence services had maintained a file on him.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the report. The Australian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.
The incident has also raised questions in Israel because Oman does not have official diplomatic relations with the country.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said pilots from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel were not permitted to operate flights to the country.
Netanyahu has instructed the National Security Council to appoint an examiner to conduct a comprehensive review of security arrangements concerning foreign civil aviation operating flights to Israel.
It remains unclear how the Omani co-pilot came to be assigned to a flight bound for Tel Aviv.
