Australia Investigates FlyDubai Co Pilot’s Links to the Country

Australian authorities are investigating the suspected links between the country and the FlyDubai co pilot accused of attacking the captain during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

The investigation comes after the co pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe while the aircraft was in flight, triggering a dramatic struggle inside the cockpit. Passengers eventually managed to enter the cockpit and restrain the attacker, allowing the aircraft to be brought under control.

Australian authorities have not publicly identified the co pilot. However, several international media organizations have reported that he was Hamam al Hammami, an Omani national.

The Australian Federal Police confirmed that it is examining the man’s connections to Australia. State police and national security authorities are also involved in the investigation.

Officials have not disclosed the specific nature of those links or whether investigators believe anything connected to his time in Australia contributed to the incident. Authorities have said further information will be released when appropriate.

Reports from Australian media indicate that the man received an Australian student visa in 2014 and lived in the country while studying between 2015 and 2017. His visa was reportedly cancelled in 2019 after he was no longer enrolled in an eligible course.

Australian counter terrorism authorities are expected to examine whether the man became radicalized during his time in the country. No conclusion has been announced publicly about that possibility.

The investigation is part of a wider effort to establish the circumstances and motive behind the incident, which occurred on September 30 aboard a FlyDubai Boeing 737 carrying more than 170 people.

About two and a half hours into the flight, the aircraft suddenly descended by around 17,000 feet after the co pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar. The captain was seriously injured but managed to reach the cockpit door and open it from inside.

Machchhar later described how he realized that the aircraft was losing altitude while he was lying injured on the cockpit floor. Despite his condition, he made another attempt to reach the door, enabling passengers to enter the cockpit.

Two reserve pilots who were travelling as passengers subsequently helped regain control of the aircraft. The plane was diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed safely in Tabuk.

Machchhar was taken to hospital following the emergency landing and later transferred to Abu Dhabi for further treatment. He has been reported to be in stable condition.

The co pilot was arrested after the aircraft landed and was questioned by Saudi authorities, according to Israeli officials. UAE authorities have also opened an investigation into the incident.

The UAE attorney general said investigators were working to determine what happened, what motivated the alleged attack and whether there were any wider connections. UAE authorities have described the incident as an alleged attempt to carry out a terrorist act.

Further questions have emerged over the co pilot’s professional history. Reports from US media have said he previously worked for Oman Air and was removed from flight training after concerns were raised about alleged radical views. He was subsequently assigned another position within the airline.

His educational background has also come under scrutiny. From 2020, he studied through a distance learning programme operated by Buckinghamshire New University in the United Kingdom. The university said he completed a degree in aviation management in 2023 and clarified that he did not undertake pilot training there.

The investigation in Australia is now focused on establishing the nature of the co pilot’s previous connections to the country and whether they have any relevance to the wider case.

Authorities in Australia and the UAE continue to examine the incident, while investigators work to determine the motive behind an attack that placed the aircraft, its crew and passengers in serious danger.

Courtesy: BBC