Australia investigating Flydubai co-pilot's links to country

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.

Key points

• The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on 30 September was carrying more than 170 passengers to Israel.
• It is additionally known that, from 2020, he was studying on a distance-learning course run by Buckinghamshire New University in the UK.
• In an official note to the BBC, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed its investigation into "the man's links to Australia".
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remarked he was an Omani national.
• Machchhar, an Indian national, was taken to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where he is documented to be in a stable condition.

Meanwhile, 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.

Notably, the Australian authorities have not identified the co-pilot. This person has been named by multiple media outlets including Reuters, CNN and The New York Times as Hamam al-Hammami.

In practice, the prosecutor in the UAE has remarked it is investigating the incident and any feasible motives.

For context, the investigation involves state police and the country's security agency, it remarked, adding that an update would be "provided at the appropriate time".

Sources familiar with the case. This person have spoken to Australian media, have remarked the co-pilot was issued a student visa in 2014, and studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017, until he left the country.

Notably, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) remarked 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 authorities will look at whether the man was radicalised in Australia, the ABC noted.

For context, 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 remarked.

Notably, 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". It allowed the passengers in. Two reserve pilots then landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the co-pilot was arrested after the emergency landing and is being questioned by Saudi authorities, according to Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, the UAE's attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, remarked on Saturday investigations were under way to establish the circumstances, motives and any links related to the incident.

He remarked investigations into the incident disclosed that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a "terrorist act", according to the country's state news agency.

In the days since the attack more details have come to light regarding the co-pilot's employment history.

While working at another airline, Oman Air, US media documented that Al-Hammami was removed from flight training as of reservations over his radical views, and was given another role at Oman's national airline.

He graduated with a degree in aviation management in 2023, the university remarked. It continued he did not take any pilot training at the school.

In short, australia investigating Flydubai co is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.