Australian authorities have launched an investigation into the country's connections to Hamam al-Hammami, the Omani Flydubai co-pilot accused of attempting to crash a passenger plane traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed to the BBC that it was examining al-Hammami's ties to Australia in cooperation with state police and the country's security agency. Authorities said further information would be released when appropriate.
According to Australian media reports, al-Hammami received a student visa in 2014 and attended educational institutions in Australia between 2015 and 2017, before leaving the country. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that his visa was revoked in 2019 after he ceased being enrolled in an academic program.
The ABC also reported that Australian counterterrorism investigators intend to examine whether al-Hammami developed extremist views during his time in the country.
Al-Hammami allegedly attacked the aircraft's captain, Smit Machchhar, with an axe approximately two and a half hours into the flight, causing the aircraft to descend roughly 17,000 feet. Passengers subsequently entered the cockpit and overpowered the attacker, while two reserve pilots managed to land the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar, an Indian citizen, was hospitalized following the attack and later transferred to Abu Dhabi, where his condition was reported to be stable. He described struggling to open the cockpit door despite his injuries, allowing passengers to intervene.
Following the emergency landing, al-Hammami was arrested and taken for questioning by Saudi authorities, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The United Arab Emirates Attorney General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, announced on Saturday that investigators were examining the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the suspect's motives and potential connections. According to the UAE's state news agency, the investigation determined that the co-pilot had attempted to commit an act of terrorism.
Questions have also emerged regarding al-Hammami's previous aviation employment. According to US media reports, he was removed from flight training at Oman Air over concerns about his extremist views and reassigned to another position within the airline.
Separately, Buckinghamshire New University in the United Kingdom confirmed that al-Hammami completed a distance-learning aviation management program, graduating in 2023. The university emphasized that he had not undergone pilot training at the institution.