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New Zealand and Australia investigate flydubai co-pilot's past as hijacking probe widens

Hamam al-Hammami spent 175 days in New Zealand for flight training, authorities confirm

By LineZotpaper
Published
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Sources2 outlets
New Zealand authorities have launched an investigation into the flydubai co-pilot who allegedly tried to hijack an Israel-bound plane on 30 September, after confirming he underwent flight training in the country in 2018–2019. The widening international probe also includes Australian security agencies examining his earlier years as a university student in Melbourne.

Disaster was narrowly averted on 30 September when passengers and crew intervened to stop the alleged attempt of co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, 29, to take control of flydubai flight 1073 to Tel Aviv with 182 people onboard. The United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said Hammami had allegedly used a crash axe in the attempted “terrorist attack”, stabbing the pilot mid-air. Investigators believe he originally planned the attack for July but postponed it.

New Zealand police assistant commissioner Michael Johnson said on Tuesday that Hammami was in the country on a student visa for 175 days, from 30 November 2018 to 23 May 2019. “Police can confirm the co-pilot was in New Zealand to complete a portion of his flight training for a UK-based company, no longer operating in New Zealand,” Johnson said in a statement. Police are now investigating his time there.

Australian security agencies launched their own investigation over the weekend after it emerged Hammami spent about two years in Australia as a student until 2017. RMIT University in Melbourne confirmed he left without completing his engineering degree. A now-deleted social media profile believed to belong to Hammami shows him in a selfie with other teenagers in a Melbourne shopping centre food court. The UK’s Telegraph reported on a post on a deleted X account linked to Hammami that described his years studying overseas as “the golden years of my religious commitment”, and claimed he became less observant when he returned to Oman.

Australia’s peak Jewish body, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, has called for a thorough investigation of Hammami’s associations in the country.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The incident highlights vulnerabilities in aviation security and the vetting of flight crew with international training histories.
  • The multi-country investigation aims to determine whether Hammami acted alone or had connections to extremist networks.
  • The case raises questions about how individuals who travel between countries for education and training may be radicalised.

Background

On 30 September 2026, passengers and crew aboard flydubai flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv overpowered co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, who allegedly attempted to hijack the aircraft using a crash axe. The pilot was stabbed but the plane was safely landed. The UAE prosecutor general described it as a terrorist attack. Hammami, an Omani national, had previously studied in Australia from around 2015 to 2017 and completed flight training in New Zealand in 2018–2019.

Key Perspectives

Authorities in New Zealand and Australia: They are investigating Hammami’s activities during his stays, including his flight training and university studies, to establish if he was radicalised or had contacts that influenced his alleged actions. UAE prosecutor general: Has stated the evidence points to a planned terrorist attack, initially scheduled for July 2026. Executive Council of Australian Jewry: Calls for a thorough investigation into Hammami’s time in Australia, reflecting concerns about potential antisemitic motives given the target was a flight to Israel.

What to Watch

  • Findings from New Zealand police regarding his flight training and any associates from that period.
  • Any developments from the Australian investigation, including interviews with former classmates or housemates.
  • Whether authorities in Oman or the UAE release further details about his background and possible links to militant groups.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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