Australia Probes Links to Flydubai Co‑Pilot Behind Aircraft Attack

Australian authorities are investigating the background of Hamam al‑Hammami, the co‑pilot who used a crash‑axe to seize control of a Flydubai aircraft bound for Tel Aviv on 30 September. Passengers managed to overpower him, allowing the plane to be steered away from its destination.

The aircraft, which had departed Dubai at 03:05 GMT, established an emergency at 05:31, shortly after the co‑pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar. The flight was subsequently diverted to Tabuk Airport in north‑west Saudi Arabia, where the aircraft landed safely on 06:58.

Al‑Hammami, identified by Reuters, CNN and The New York Times as the attacker, had previously lived in Australia. He earned a student visa in 2014, studied there from 2015 to 2017, and had his visa cancelled in 2019 when he ceased enrollment.

The Australian Federal Police confirmed they are looking into his “links to Australia,” involving state police and the national security agency. Saudi and UAE authorities are also questioning him following the emergency landing.

Counter‑terrorism specialists will assess whether al‑Hammami was radicalised while in Australia, and whether the incident constituted a terrorist act aimed at harming the passengers or crew.

Images of the aircraft show extensive damage to the tail fin after the forced landing, while a map of the flight route illustrates the path from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the declaration of a general emergency, and the final diversion to Saudi Arabia.