Australia probes Flydubai attacker past, who studied there before cockpit terror attack

By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Australian counter-terrorism agencies on Sunday said that it is examining the local history of the Omani co-pilot accused of trying to bring down a Flydubai passenger jet after reports emerged that he had studied in Australia for about two years.

Al-Hammami was reportedly granted an Australian student visa in 2014, left the country in 2017 and had the visa cancelled two years later after he was no longer enrolled in a course.

The Joint Counter Terrorism Team is investigating Hamam al-Hammami’s links to the country.

The development opens another line of inquiry into the 29-year-old’s background after the September 30 attack aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

“The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team comprised the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO, can confirm it is investigating the man’s links to Australia,” an Australian Federal Police spokesperson said.

Al-Hammami was reportedly granted an Australian student visa in 2014 and began studying in the country the following year.

He remained in Australia until 2017. His student visa was cancelled in 2019 after authorities found that he was no longer enrolled in a course.

Investigators are examining his period in Australia as part of the wider effort to establish how and when he became radicalized.

A active LinkedIn profile under al-Hammami’s name also indicated that he had undertaken remote study through Buckinghamshire New University in the United Kingdom.

The scrutiny of al-Hammami’s past follows the dramatic events aboard Flight FZ1073 on September 30.

He attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar with a cockpit crash axe and then attempted to seize control of the aircraft.

The jet plunged more than 16,000 feet in roughly 30 seconds during the attack.

Machchhar managed to unlock the flight deck door. Passengers and crew then overpowered al-Hammami, while two on-duty crew members helped stabilize the aircraft and guide it to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Investigators later said al-Hammami told interrogators that he intended to deliberately bring down the aircraft and was “not afraid of death”, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The investigation has also turned to al-Hammami’s aviation history and how he secured another cockpit role after concerns about extremist activity had previously surfaced.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Oman Air had barred him from flight duties after discovering that he had visited extremist websites.

People briefed on his background told the newspaper that al-Hammami later completed a deradicalisation programme and was shifted to an administrative role.

He left Oman Air, moved to the United Arab Emirates and joined Flydubai in February 2026.

It remains unclear what information was available to Flydubai during its vetting process or whether records were sought from Omani authorities.

Media reported that Oman received no formal international request for vetting assistance linked to his employment.

The authorities in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel are investigating whether al-Hammami acted alone or had outside links.

They said particular attention is also being paid to any possible foreign connections, including Iran.

Al-Hammami was born to an Omani father and a Syrian mother and spent part of his youth in Syria during the country’s civil war.

Investigators are examining whether his radicalization may have begun during that period, according to sources familiar with the inquiry cited by WSJ

His online history has also come under scrutiny.

Over 3,000 archived screenshots from a deleted X account attributed to him remain available through the Internet Archive.

They include conservative and misogynistic posts opposed to women working and expressing a preference for religious women who wore veils.

One archived post described the creation of a fake profile to approach Saudi women.

Another said his wife should not work.

The Australian investigation adds another period of al-Hammami’s life to an expanding international inquiry into his path to the Flydubai cockpit and the September 30 attack.