New Zealand Police Open Probe Into Flydubai Hijack Suspect's Training

New Zealand police have confirmed that the flydubai co-pilot accused of trying to hijack an Israel-bound flight completed part of his pilot training in the country, and said investigators are now examining his time there, according to The Guardian.

Passengers and crew intervened on 30 September to stop the co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, 29, an Omani national, from taking control of a flight to Tel Aviv carrying 182 people, the Guardian reported. The United Arab Emirates' prosecutor general said Hammami allegedly used a crash axe in the attempted "terrorist attack," in which the pilot was stabbed mid-air.

What did New Zealand police confirm about his training?

New Zealand police assistant commissioner Michael Johnson said 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 reported by the Guardian.

Johnson said police are now investigating Hammami's time in the country, though the Guardian report does not detail what specific aspects of his stay are under review.

Why is Australia also looking at his background?

Hammami had abandoned a university degree in Australia roughly a year before arriving in New Zealand for flight training, the Guardian reported. Australian security agencies launched their own investigation over the weekend into his time in Melbourne, and an Australian Jewish group has called for a full inquiry into that period, according to the report. The Guardian did not name the Melbourne institution or specify the degree Hammami abandoned.

What do officials in the Gulf and Israel say about motive?

The UAE's prosecutor general has described the incident as an attempted "terrorist attack," the Guardian reported. Israeli and other regional officials suspect Hammami had originally planned a similar attack in July but postponed it, according to the report. The Guardian piece does not identify those officials by name or detail the evidence behind that assessment.

Is New Zealand the only country reviewing his record?

No. The Guardian reported that New Zealand "joins multiple countries scrambling to piece together the background of Hammami and his intentions, as well as to establish if he acted alone." Australia's review of his Melbourne period is running in parallel, and the report indicates authorities across jurisdictions are still working to determine whether he had help.

What to watch

• Whether New Zealand police release findings on what, if anything, happened during Hammami's 175-day stay tied to his flight training.
• Whether Australian authorities disclose details from their review of his time at a Melbourne university before he left for flight training.
• Whether UAE or Israeli officials release evidence supporting the suspicion that a July attack attempt was postponed.
• Whether investigators determine if Hammami acted alone or had outside assistance, a question the Guardian says remains open across the countries now involved.

The flydubai flight landed safely after crew and passengers subdued Hammami, according to the Guardian's account, which did not specify how he was restrained.