Australian counter-terrorism authorities are investigating the background of the Omani co-pilot accused of attempting to crash a Dubai-to-Israel passenger flight, after it emerged he spent several years living and studying in Melbourne. Hamam al-Hammami, who allegedly attacked the captain of flydubai flight FZ1073 with an emergency crash axe on 30 September, is now at the centre of an investigation that stretches from the Middle East to Victoria.
The incident, which the UAE's prosecutor general has formally described as an attempted "terrorist attack", saw the aircraft plunge more than 16,600 feet in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia. More than 170 passengers and crew were on board. Passengers and crew managed to subdue al-Hammami, and a reserve flydubai pilot travelling on the flight took control and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, where al-Hammami was detained.
For more background on the initial incident, see our earlier coverage of the flydubai co-pilot who stabbed the captain in an attempt to crash the Tel Aviv-bound flight.
The Australian connection: a Melbourne student visa and a counter-terrorism probe
The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team — which brings together Victorian Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and the Australian Federal Police — has confirmed it is actively investigating al-Hammami's time in Australia. The team is specifically examining his links to the country during a period that coincides with what experts describe as the height of the Islamic State movement's global influence.
Sources briefed on the investigation indicate al-Hammami was granted an Australian student visa in 2014 and studied in the country between 2015 and 2017 before departing. His visa was officially cancelled in 2019. A source has indicated he studied at RMIT University in Melbourne, though this has not been confirmed by the institution or by authorities publicly.
Deakin University associate professor Josh Roose said investigators would be particularly focused on that window of time. "It's important to understand this was 10 years ago that he was in Australia — this was the height of the Islamic State movement and its influence," Roose said. Authorities would be scrutinising his social interactions, the groups he associated with, and the places of worship he attended during his stay, he added.
Pre-meditated plan: officials say attack was long in the making
The scope of the alleged plot appears to go well beyond a spontaneous act. Two Israeli officials with knowledge of the UAE-led investigation have said al-Hammami told interrogators he had planned the attack before he was even hired by flydubai. A third source briefed on the probe said the co-pilot's specific intention was to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
Significantly, it is understood al-Hammami had operated an earlier flydubai flight to Tel Aviv and had intended to carry out the attack on that occasion as well, but chose not to. The reason he held back remains unclear, though sources suggest he may have known someone on board that particular flight.
Adding to concerns about systemic failures, Roose noted that al-Hammami had previously been banned from flying with Oman Air, yet managed to gain employment with another airline operating direct routes to Israel. "That was a catastrophic failure of intelligence," Roose said. Flydubai is owned by the Dubai government. The airline has said the circumstances of the incident remain under investigation and declined to comment further.
International investigation and aviation security implications
The UAE is leading the overall investigation, with Israeli investigators also participating alongside Emirati authorities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel was examining whether al-Hammami acted under direction from others, warning that anyone involved would face a "heavy price." He had previously said the co-pilot appeared to have undergone radical Islamist indoctrination and showed signs of being suicidal, though an official motive had not been established at that point.
The incident has raised broad questions about aviation security worldwide, particularly given the protections put in place after the September 11 attacks — measures largely focused on preventing unauthorised access to cockpits, rather than threats originating within them. This case joins a troubling list of aircraft hijackings that have reshaped aviation security thinking over decades.
"Up until now, it's been about keeping people out of the cockpit," Roose said. "But now they've got to obviously do a deep dive into all pilots and all people who are locked into that cockpit in terms of their ideologies and their mental state." He added that aviation "continues to be a target" in an international security context.
Al-Hammami remains in UAE custody. No formal charges have been announced, and it is not known whether he has legal representation. Oman has not publicly commented on the case. Investigations into the physical and digital evidence, his motivations, and any broader connections are described as ongoing.
