Australian authorities have opened an investigation into a Flydubai co-pilot’s connections to Australia following a dramatic mid-air attack on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot, identified by several international outlets as Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly struck the captain with a crash axe before passengers wrestled back control of the aircraft.
The Australian Federal Police confirmed it is working alongside state police and the national security agency to examine the man’s history in the country. According to local media, he arrived on a student visa in 2014, studied there from 2015 to 2017, and had that visa revoked in 2019 after leaving his course. Investigators are now exploring whether he may have been radicalized while living in Australia.
The September 30 flight, carrying more than 170 passengers, dropped roughly 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) during the struggle in the cockpit. Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was injured but managed to open the cockpit door so passengers could intervene. Two reserve pilots then safely landed the plane in Saudi Arabia, where the co-pilot was arrested.
UAE officials have called the incident an attempted “terrorist act” and are investigating possible motives. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu identified the suspect as an Omani national. Reports also indicate he had previously been pulled from pilot training at Oman Air over concerns about extremist views, and later earned an aviation management degree from a UK university.
For the full story, read the original report from the BBC.
Source: Australia investigating Flydubai co-pilot's links to country (feeds.bbci.co.uk).
Image: wbaiv, BY-SA 2.0 (via Openverse).