Canberra [Australia], October 4 (ANI): Following reports that Hamam al-Hammami, the Omani co-pilot behind the September 30 terrorist attack aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, had been granted Australian student visa in 2014, authorities in Canberra have initiated an inquiry, according to The Times of Israel.
“The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (VIC JCTT), comprising the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO, can confirm it is investigating the man’s links to Australia,” an Australian Federal Police spokesperson stated, according to The Times of Israel, which cited a report from The Guardian.
“An update will be provided at an appropriate time,” the spokesperson added.
The Times of Israel report cited sources telling tell ABC news that co-pilot was issued a student visa in 2014 and studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017, when he left the country.
ABC news also reported that al-Hammami’s student visa was canceled in 2019 because he was not enrolled in any course.
The Joint Counter Terrorism Team probe will examine whether the co-pilot was radicalized in Australia, the outlet said.
Meanwhile, CNN reported Saturday that a previously active LinkedIn profile under the name Hamam al-Hammami indicated he undertook remote coursework through Buckinghamshire New University in the United Kingdom.
al-Hammami had assaulted Captain Smit Machchhar aboard Flydubai Flight 1073 on September 30 through a cockpit crash axe before attempting to seize control of the aircraft.
The jet descended over 16,000 feet within approximately 30 seconds before the severely injured captain succeeded in unlocking the flight deck door. Passengers and crew subsequently subdued al-Hammami, while two off-duty pilots intervened to stabilise and guide the aircraft to a safe emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Following the emergency landing, investigators revealed that al-Hammami confessed to interrogators that his intention was to deliberately bring down the flight and that he was “not afraid of death,” according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The 29-year-old Omani national is being probed how he underwent radicalisation and managed to re-enter a commercial cockpit despite extremist affiliations that had previously drawn official scrutiny. Authorities across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Israel are actively investigating whether he operated independently or maintained external ties to foreign entities, with particular focus directed toward Iran.
According to the WSJ, al-Hammami’s initial employer, the state-owned carrier Oman Air, barred him from flight duties after discovering his visits to extremist websites. Individuals briefed on his background indicated to the newspaper that he subsequently completed a deradicalisation programme and was reassigned to administrative duties.
Following his departure from Oman Air, al-Hammami relocated to the United Arab Emirates and secured employment with Flydubai in February 2026. It remains unconfirmed what prior vetting data was accessible to Flydubai or whether Omani authorities were ever requested to furnish his records. The WSJ noted that Oman received no formal international requests for vetting assistance regarding his employment.
Investigators are also scrutinising al-Hammami's background in Syria. Born to an Omani father and a Syrian mother, he spent a portion of his youth in the country amid its civil war. Sources familiar with the probe cited by the WSJ indicate that authorities are evaluating whether his radicalisation began during this period, when Islamist insurgent factions were engaged in armed conflict against Bashar al-Assad's government.
al-Hammami's digital footprint reveals an extensive online record preceding the Flydubai incident. More than 3,000 archived screenshots from his deleted X account remain accessible via the Internet Archive, featuring conservative and misogynistic commentary, such as objections to female employment and expressions of preference for veiled religious women. One archived post detailed his creation of a fraudulent profile to approach Saudi women, while another asserted that his spouse should not work. (ANI)
Australian authorities launch terror probe into Flydubai co-pilot over revelations he studied in country
