Australia investigates co-pilot’s links after flydubai hijack attempt

Australian counterterrorism authorities are examining the links of the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain and attempting to take control of a flydubai flight bound for Israel. Authorities in New Zealand have also said they are investigating reports the suspect had spent time in that country.

The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, made up of the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and intelligence agency ASIO, is investigating the man’s time in Australia, where he studied in Melbourne.

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT) has confirmed that he was enrolled there but did not complete an engineering qualification. 

A dramatic mid-air attack

The incident happened on 30 September aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, which was carrying 174 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv. UAE authorities say the Omani co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency crash axe before attempting to seize control of the aircraft.

• Hammam al-Hammami: Flydubai co-pilot attacked pilot with axe in attempted 'terrorist attack'

The plane then plunged thousands of metres in less than a minute, but the injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker. A reserve pilot on board eventually landed the aircraft safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

• Passengers restrain co-pilot accused of trying to crash flydubai flight, Netanyahu says

The UAE prosecutor general has described the incident as a “terrorist attack”, while the exact motive and whether anyone else was involved remain under investigation. The co-pilot is currently in UAE custody and has not been formally charged publicly.

However, two Israeli officials with knowledge of the probe say the flydubai co-pilot has told UAE interrogators he planned the attack before he was hired by the Dubai state-owned airline.

A third source briefed on the UAE probe said the co-pilot, an Omani national, had planned to crash last Wednesday's flight into Ben-Gurion airport near Tel Aviv. He had also operated a flight to Tel Aviv earlier this year and intended to hijack and crash the plane then, but opted not to, the source added.

It was not immediately clear why the co-pilot changed his mind on that previous flight, although the co-pilot is thought to have known someone onboard, the source said.

Questions over his time in Australia

The investigation has also turned towards the co-pilot’s background in Australia. Sources say he studied in Melbourne between 2015 and 2017 after arriving on a student visa, while RMIT confirmed he did not complete his engineering course.

His visa was later cancelled because he was no longer enrolled in a course, according to Australian reporting.

Reports that he may have visited radical mosques and extremist websites while in Australia have also emerged, although these claims have not been independently verified by Reuters. Australian authorities have not publicly said that his time in the country was connected to the alleged attack.

Wider security questions

The case has raised broader questions about how the co-pilot was cleared to operate a flight to Israel, particularly given that Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a review of security procedures for foreign civil aviation, while investigators continue to examine the co-pilot’s background and possible motive.

For now, Australian authorities say their investigation is focused on establishing the nature of the man’s links to the country, while the UAE-led inquiry continues into the attack itself.

Read more:

• Oman banned Flydubai co-pilot over radical views, U.S. media reports
• Flydubai Incident: The questions investigators are trying to answer

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