Australian authorities are investigating the links between the country and a Flydubai co-pilot who attempted to take control of a plane travelling to Israel, according to reports published Sunday.

The co-pilot, identified by multiple media outlets including Reuters, CNN, and The New York Times as Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly attacked the captain with a crash axe during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. Passengers ultimately managed to overpower him and successfully take control of the plane, leading to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Australian Investigation

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed its investigation into "the man's links to Australia," according to the BBC, stating that the probe involves state police and the country's security agency, with an update to be "provided at the appropriate time."

A multi-agency Australian police and intelligence team, specifically the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, is carrying out the investigation, a spokesperson told Al Jazeera on Sunday.

Sources familiar with the case, speaking to Australian media, indicated the co-pilot was issued a student visa in 2014 and studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017 before leaving, the BBC reported. His student visa was cancelled in 2019 due to non-enrollment, making him ineligible, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), cited by the BBC.

Counter-terrorism officials will examine whether the man was radicalised in Australia, the ABC reported, according to the BBC.

Reuters, citing sources briefed on the Australian investigation, reported that al-Hammami studied at a university in Melbourne, with an unnamed source telling Reuters he attended RMIT University, a public research university, about a decade ago.

The Financial Times also reported al-Hammami’s links to Australia. Citing two sources familiar with the Australian investigation, the Financial Times stated that al-Hammami had allegedly visited what it described as "radical mosques and extremist websites" while in the country, Al Jazeera reported.

The Incident

Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was carrying more than 170 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. Two and a half hours into its journey, the plane plunged 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) when the Omani co-pilot attacked the pilot with a crash axe, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general has said, according to the BBC.

The pilot flying the plane, Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, described realizing the plane was sinking while he was injured on the floor. He explained, "I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside," which allowed the passengers to enter the cockpit, the BBC reported. Captain Machchhar was taken to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where he is reported to be in a stable condition.

Disaster was averted after passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot, and a reserve pilot took over the controls, completing an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera reported. The co-pilot was arrested after the emergency landing and is being questioned by Saudi authorities, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as reported by the BBC.

Co-pilot's Background and UAE Investigation

The UAE prosecutor stated it is investigating the incident and possible motives, the BBC reported. The UAE's attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said on Saturday that investigations were under way to establish circumstances, motives, and any links. These investigations revealed the co-pilot attempted a "terrorist act," according to the country's state news agency, the BBC reported.

Al Jazeera reported that the UAE prosecutor general, Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, labelled the attack an attempted "terrorist act."

More details about the co-pilot's employment history have emerged since the attack. While working at another airline, Oman Air, US media reported that al-Hammami was removed from flight training due to concerns over his radical views and was given another role at Oman's national airline, the BBC stated.

Al-Hammami was reportedly barred from flying in his own country because of concerns that he had adopted "extremist" views, The Associated Press news agency cited sources as saying, according to Al Jazeera. Al-Hammami reportedly spent part of his life in the United Arab Emirates, Al Jazeera reported.

It is also known that, from 2020, he was studying on a distance-learning course run by Buckinghamshire New University in the UK. He graduated with a degree in aviation management in 2023, the university said, adding he did not take any pilot training at the school, the BBC reported.

Security Concerns and Reactions

The case has raised questions about security in Israel, which has some of the world’s strictest aviation security measures, Al Jazeera reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel has longstanding arrangements with foreign airlines aimed at preventing pilots who are nationals of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from flying there, according to Al Jazeera.

Netanyahu stated that a "loophole" appears to have allowed the Omani pilot to take part in the Flydubai flight, and that Israel would now strengthen its checks, Al Jazeera reported.

The UAE has not yet publicly established a motive or announced whether investigators believe al-Hammami acted alone, Al Jazeera reported. UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said on Saturday that the latest "terrorist" attack is a new warning that the region’s fight against "extremism" is not over, according to Al Jazeera.