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Australian security agencies are investigating the Australian connections of a flydubai co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack an Israel-bound flight with a crash axe. The co-pilot studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017 and his student visa was cancelled in 2019.
Australian security agencies have launched an investigation into the Australian connections of a flydubai co-pilot who allegedly attempted to hijack an Israel-bound flight using a crash axe.
Australian Agencies Probe Co-Pilot Links
The co-pilot has been named in numerous media outlets as Omani national Hammam al-Hammami. The Australian Federal Police confirmed on Sunday that multiple agencies, including the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, are probing the man's links to the country. The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, comprising the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO, is investigating the man's links to Australia, an AFP spokesperson said. An update will be provided at an appropriate time.
The incident occurred on Wednesday on flydubai Flight FZ1073 bound for Tel Aviv. The flight was carrying 182 people and was forced to divert to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing. The jet plunged 16,625 feet (5,067 metres) in just over 30 seconds during the incident. Some earlier reports said the flight carried 174 people and plunged nearly 14,000 feet (4,267 metres) in less than 30 seconds.
Flight Diversion After Alleged Hijacking Attempt
The co-pilot allegedly attacked the lead pilot inside the cockpit with a crash axe, a tool typically kept in the cockpit for emergencies. The pilot was stabbed mid-air. The lead prosecutor in the United Arab Emirates investigation, Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, confirmed the co-pilot had allegedly attacked the lead pilot and said investigations found he had attempted to carry out a terrorist attack. The statement was carried by the UAE's state news agency.
UAE authorities have described the attack as a terrorist act. Disaster was narrowly averted because passengers seized al-Hammami while two off-duty pilots stabilised the Boeing 737. Authorities say the attempted attack came close to killing all passengers and crew, according to witness accounts. The Omani co-pilot and the flight's Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, were taken to the UAE, which is leading the investigation.
Al-Hammami's Australian Student Visa History
Officials have said a number of countries including Israel are participating. A source familiar with the case, not authorised to speak publicly, said the man was granted an Australian student visa in 2014 before arriving in the country to commence a university course the following year. He was in Melbourne from 2015 to 2017 before leaving Australia, and his visa was cancelled in 2019 after authorities confirmed he was no longer enrolled in the course.
The ABC understands his visa was not cancelled on character grounds but due to his lack of enrolment in a course, rendering him ineligible for a student visa. His visa expired in 2019. There was no inference that the visa should not have been granted, the source said. Earlier reports had identified the co-pilot as 27-year-old Iraqi citizen Abdul Rahman al-Hammami, but the latest information identifies him as Omani national Hammam al-Hammami.
Identity, University Course and Flying Ban
The discrepancy is part of the ongoing investigation. US media outlets, including CNN, reported that a now-deleted LinkedIn profile said al-Hammami had studied engineering at an Australian university. Guardian Australia has not verified which university the co-pilot attended. One institution said a student named Hamam al-Hammami had previously completed a distance-learning course in aviation management there, adding that he did not undertake any pilot training at the university.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the co-pilot had been barred from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views. He was then moved to an administrative job at Oman Air, according to the official, before being hired by the UAE-based budget airline flydubai. A flydubai spokesperson on Saturday said the circumstances surrounding the incident were still under investigation and the airline was not in a position to comment further.
The airline's flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv have been suspended until further notice after the attack. When asked about the investigation on Sunday morning, Victorian Premier Ben Carroll said he had not been briefed on al-Hammami's potential connections to Victoria. He said it was concerning and he would follow it up as a matter of priority.
He added that he met with the prime minister last week and will always continue to work with law enforcement agencies to keep Victoria safe. The investigation into al-Hammami's past activities and associations in Australia is ongoing.
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brisbanetimes:‘Concerning’: Accused flydubai hijacker’s Victorian links under investigation 
abcnews:AFP confirms investigation of flydubai co-pilot's Australian links 
GuardianAus:Flydubai co-pilot’s time in Australia being investigated by security agencies after alleged cockpit attackThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Hijacking Attempt Flydubai Co-Pilot ASIO Investigation Victoria Terrorism Aviation Security Flydubai Hijacking Victorian Connections Axe Attack Terrorist Attack ASIO Victorian Links Terrorism Investigation Flydubai Hijack Attempt Hammam Al-Hammami Australian Student Visa Victorian Counterterrorism
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