Australia Probes Flydubai Co-Pilot's Melbourne Links After Axe Attack on Flight FZ1073
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Oct 4
Australia Probes Flydubai Co-Pilot's Melbourne Links After Axe Attack on Flight FZ1073
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Oct 4
Summary
Australia's Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team is investigating whether Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami developed extremist links while studying in Melbourne about a decade ago.
The probe follows allegations that the Omani national attacked the captain with a crash axe and tried to seize control of Israel-bound Flight FZ1073 before passengers and crew overpowered him.
Reuters and the Financial Times reported he studied at RMIT University and allegedly visited radical mosques and extremist websites in Australia; Oman had already barred him from flying over extremist concerns.
The UAE has called the September 30 assault an attempted terrorist act, while Israel said a loophole let a pilot from a country without diplomatic ties join the flight and promised tighter checks.
How did a co-pilot previously flagged for extremism bypass security vetting to take control of a commercial flight?
What hidden security gaps force ordinary passengers to physically fight a radicalized pilot to save a plunging aircraft?
Was the cockpit axe attack a lone wolf's mental break, or part of a larger, undetected terror network?
The 2026 Flydubai Flight FZ1073 Cockpit Attack: How a Radicalized Co-Pilot Nearly Caused Catastrophe and Exposed Global Aviation Security Failures
Overview
On September 30, 2026, Omani co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit of Flydubai Flight FZ1073, causing the plane to plunge dangerously and suffer severe damage. Despite his injuries, Captain Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter, subdue the co-pilot, and secure the cockpit. Off-duty relief pilots then stabilized the aircraft and safely landed it in Saudi Arabia. The incident triggered an international investigation and exposed major gaps in airline vetting and security protocols, prompting Israel to tighten border and crew screening measures and leading Flydubai to suspend flights to and from Israel.