Australian authorities are investigating the connections between the country and a Flydubai co-pilot who allegedly attempted to take control of a plane traveling to Israel. The incident occurred on September 30 during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the co-pilot reportedly attacked the captain with a crash axe. Passengers managed to overpower him and regain control of the aircraft, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia.
The co-pilot has not been officially identified by Australian authorities, although multiple media outlets, including Reuters, CNN, and The New York Times, have named him as Hamam al-Hammami. The prosecutor in the UAE has stated that it is investigating the incident and any possible motives.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed its investigation into the co-pilot's links to Australia, involving state police and the country's security agency. An update will be provided at an appropriate time. Reports indicate that the co-pilot was issued a student visa in 2014 and studied in Australia from 2015 to 2017, after which he left the country. His student visa was canceled in 2019 due to his non-enrollment in a course. Counter-terrorism officials are examining whether he was radicalized in Australia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has identified the co-pilot as an Omani national. The flight, carrying over 170 passengers, experienced a significant drop of 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) two and a half hours into the journey when the co-pilot attacked the pilot, Capt Smit Machchhar. Machchhar described being injured on the floor when he realized the plane was descending and managed to open the door for passengers to assist. Two reserve pilots subsequently landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar, an Indian national, was taken to a nearby hospital and later airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where he is reported to be in stable condition. The co-pilot was arrested after the emergency landing and is currently being questioned by Saudi authorities. The UAE's attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, indicated that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances, motives, and any connections related to the incident. Reports have emerged that while employed at Oman Air, Al-Hammami was removed from flight training due to concerns about his radical views and was reassigned within the airline. Additionally, he was studying a distance-learning course in aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University in the UK, graduating in 2023 without any pilot training at the institution.