Australia Probes Flydubai Co-Pilot's Past After Mid-Air Cockpit Attack

Australian federal investigators have opened an inquiry into the background of a Flydubai co-pilot accused of trying to seize control of a passenger jet bound for Israel, examining what ties the man may have had to the country before he left several years ago.

The co-pilot is alleged to have assaulted the flight's captain with a crash axe during a service from Dubai to Tel Aviv, an attack that was ultimately thwarted when passengers on board managed to subdue him and regain command of the aircraft. The incident has triggered investigations in multiple jurisdictions, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and now Australia.

Australian authorities have not publicly named the co-pilot. However, several international news organisations, among them Reuters, CNN and The New York Times, have identified him as Hamam al-Hammami. The BBC has not independently verified that identification.

In a statement provided to the BBC, the Australian Federal Police confirmed it was examining "the man's links to Australia". The force said the inquiry was being conducted alongside state police and the country's domestic security agency, and that further details would be "provided at the appropriate time".

Reporting by Australian media, citing sources familiar with the case, indicates the co-pilot was granted a student visa in 2014 and subsequently studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017. He is said to have left the country at the end of that period.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the student visa was cancelled in 2019 because the man was no longer enrolled in a course, a condition that rendered him ineligible to hold it. The broadcaster also said counter-terrorism officials would examine whether he had been radicalised while living in Australia, a line of inquiry that could prove significant given the length of time he spent there.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the co-pilot was an Omani national. The flight on 30 September was carrying more than 170 passengers from Dubai to Israel when the alleged attack occurred.

According to the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general, the aircraft was roughly two and a half hours into its journey when it plunged about 17,000 feet (5,200 metres) after the co-pilot struck the pilot with the axe. The sudden loss of altitude, coming without warning, would have created an extreme emergency in the cabin.

The captain at the controls, Smit Machchhar, has described the sequence of events from his perspective. He recounted lying injured on the floor when he became aware the plane was descending and realised he needed to intervene. He said he told himself to make one final effort to open the door from the inside, an action that allowed passengers to enter the cockpit.

Two reserve pilots subsequently took command and landed the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia. Details of the diversion indicate the flight declared a general emergency and then a hijacking alert before turning away from Tel Aviv and heading south to Tabuk Airport in north-west Saudi Arabia, where it touched down.

Machchhar, an Indian national, was taken to a hospital near the landing site before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi. He is reported to be in a stable condition. His account of the attack has drawn widespread attention, including from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who met the captain.

The co-pilot was arrested following the emergency landing and is being questioned by Saudi authorities, according to Netanyahu. The UAE's attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said investigations were under way to establish the circumstances of the incident, any motives behind it and any links connected to it. He said the inquiry had revealed that the co-pilot attempted to carry out what he described as a "terrorist act", a characterization reported by the country's state news agency.

Additional details about the co-pilot's professional history have emerged in the days since the attack. US media outlets have reported that while he was employed by another carrier, Oman Air, he was removed from flight training because of concerns about his radical views and was reassigned to a different role at the national airline.

It has also come to light that from 2020 the man was enrolled in a distance-learning programme run by Buckinghamshire New University in the United Kingdom. The university said he graduated with a degree in aviation management in 2023 and confirmed that he did not undertake any pilot training at the institution. That distinction matters, as it suggests the qualification was academic rather than operational, and would not by itself have certified him to fly commercial aircraft.

The case has raised broader questions about how aviation personnel are vetted, particularly when individuals move between carriers and countries. Security analysts note that screening processes rely heavily on information sharing between employers and regulators, and that gaps can emerge when a person's history is spread across multiple jurisdictions. The fact that the co-pilot was reportedly moved out of flight training at one airline but later obtained a position at another is likely to attract scrutiny.

For Australia, the investigation centres on whether the man's years there played any role in shaping his later actions. Counter-terrorism inquiries of this kind typically examine social connections, travel patterns and any involvement with extremist networks during the period of residence. The outcome will help determine whether Australian authorities believe the man was radicalised on their soil or whether his views developed elsewhere.

The broader implications extend to international aviation security, intelligence cooperation and the vetting of cockpit crew. With investigations proceeding in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Australia, and media scrutiny continuing, a fuller picture of the co-pilot's background and motivations may emerge in the coming weeks. For now, authorities in Canberra say they will provide updates when appropriate, as they work to piece together the extent of the man's links to Australia.