# Australia probes co-pilot's local links after plane attack

> Australian counterterrorism investigators are examining connections to the country of the flydubai co-pilot who stabbed his captain and attempted to hijack a flight to Israel.
- Title: Australia probes co-pilot's local links after plane attack
- Summary: Australian counterterrorism investigators are examining connections to the country of the flydubai co-pilot who stabbed his captain and attempted to hijack a…
- Keywords: flydubai, flight fz1073, hamam al-hammami, oman, australia, counterterrorism, rmit university, israel, saudi arabia, uae, news, politics
- Source: Daily Maverick — https://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-05-australia-probes-flydubai-co-pilots-links-to-the-country-police-say
- Author: Reuters
- Published: 2026-10-05T11:22:48+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: flydubai, flight fz1073, hamam al-hammami, oman, australia, counterterrorism, rmit university, israel, saudi arabia, uae, news, politics
## Co-pilot attacks captain mid-flight
The co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 attacked the pilot with an emergency crash axe on Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said, calling the incident a terrorist attack.
## Plane plunges sixteen thousand feet in thirty seconds
Flight FZ1073 descended sixteen thousand feet in about thirty seconds before being levelled out and landing safely, according to an aviation instructor who recreated the descent in a flight simulator.
## Passengers and crew subdue attacker
Passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot after he attacked the captain in what Israeli officials said was an attempt to crash the plane carrying more than one hundred seventy passengers and crew.
## Co-pilot studied at Melbourne university
Two sources said the co-pilot studied at a university in Melbourne, the capital of Victoria. A third source said he studied at RMIT University in Melbourne around a decade ago.
## RMIT confirms enrollment, no degree
RMIT confirmed the co-pilot had been enrolled at the university but did not successfully complete an engineering qualification. RMIT did not name him or say when he studied there.
## Reports of radical mosque visits in Australia
The Financial Times reported that Hamam Al-Hammami had allegedly visited radical mosques and extremist websites while in Australia, citing two people familiar with the investigation. Australian intelligence services held a file on him.
## Australian counterterrorism unit investigates
The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, comprising federal police, Victorian state police and the ASIO intelligence agency, is investigating the co-pilot's links to Australia, the Australian Federal Police said.
## Key takeaway

Australian counterterrorism authorities are investigating the Omani co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073, who attacked his captain with a crash axe and attempted to hijack the plane to Israel on October second.