Canberra — AFP Investigates Flydubai Co-Pilot's Links to Australia

The Australian Federal Police confirmed it is investigating "the man's links to Australia" after a Flydubai co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain of a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight with a crash axe, according to a statement the agency gave to the BBC. The AFP said the inquiry involves state police and the country's security agency and that an update would be "provided at the appropriate time," the BBC reported.

Who is the co-pilot under investigation?

Australian authorities have not identified the co-pilot, but multiple outlets including Reuters, CNN and The New York Times have named him as Hamam al-Hammami, the BBC reported. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the man is an Omani national. Sources familiar with the case told Australian media the co-pilot was issued a student visa in 2014 and studied in Australia from 2015 to 2017 before leaving the country, according to the BBC. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported the visa was canceled in 2019 after he was no longer enrolled in a course, making him ineligible to hold it.

What are investigators looking for?

Counter-terrorism officials will examine whether the man was radicalized in Australia, the ABC reported, according to the BBC's account. Separately, the UAE's attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said investigations were under way into the circumstances, motives and any links tied to the incident, and that early findings pointed to an attempted "terrorist act," the country's state news agency reported, per the BBC.

What happened aboard the flight?

The Flydubai flight was carrying more than 170 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Sept. 30 when, about two and a half hours into the journey, the plane dropped 17,000 feet after the co-pilot attacked the pilot with a crash axe, the UAE prosecutor general said, according to the BBC. Capt. Smit Machchhar, an Indian national flying the plane, said he was lying on the floor injured when he realized the aircraft was descending and forced open the cockpit door to let passengers in, telling the BBC: "I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside." Two reserve pilots then landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.

What is the timeline of events?

• 2014: The co-pilot is issued an Australian student visa.
• 2015–2017: He studies in Australia before leaving the country.
• 2019: His student visa is canceled after he is no longer enrolled in a course.
• Sept. 30: The Flydubai flight departs Dubai for Tel Aviv; the co-pilot allegedly attacks the captain mid-flight; passengers retake control and the plane diverts to Saudi Arabia.
• Days after: U.S. media report the co-pilot was earlier removed from flight training at Oman Air over concerns about radical views before being reassigned within the airline, the BBC reported.

What happens next?

Machchhar was taken to a hospital near the landing site before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where he is reported to be in stable condition, the BBC said. The co-pilot was arrested after the emergency landing and is being questioned by Saudi authorities, according to Netanyahu's account relayed by the BBC. The UAE prosecutor's office said its investigation into the incident and any possible motives continues, and the AFP has not set a timeline for completing its own review of the man's Australian ties.