Alleged flydubai attacker left Australia before completing engineering studies

Hammam al-Hammami, the flydubai co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack a Tel Aviv-bound flight, was enrolled at RMIT University in Melbourne but left Australia before completing his engineering qualification, the university has confirmed. The disclosure comes as Australia’s counterterrorism agencies investigate the suspect’s time in the country between 2015 and 2017 following the mid-air attack on flight FZ1073 on 30 September 2026.

FAKTA

• The suspect: Hammam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national, identified by sources familiar with the investigation. UAE and Omani authorities have not publicly confirmed his identity.
• The flight: flydubai FZ1073, Dubai to Tel Aviv, 30 September 2026, carrying 174 passengers and crew. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after an emergency landing.
• The attack: UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said on 3 October that the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with the cockpit’s emergency crash axe and tried to seize the controls. The UAE calls it an attempted terrorist act.
• Australia timeline: student visa granted in 2014; arrived 2015 to study engineering; departed 2017; visa cancelled in 2019 after authorities confirmed he was no longer enrolled.
• The investigators: the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (VIC JCTT) — the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and ASIO — is examining the man’s links to Australia.
• Britain: Buckinghamshire New University confirmed he completed a three-year distance-learning degree in aviation management in 2023. He did no pilot training there.

RMIT confirms the flydubai co-pilot never completed his engineering studies

In a brief statement, RMIT University confirmed that the alleged flydubai co-pilot had been enrolled there, but did not successfully complete an engineering qualification. The university declined to name the man or say when he studied there, citing the ongoing investigation.

RMIT is one of Australia’s largest universities and is based in Melbourne. The confirmation ties the suspect’s formal education record in Australia to the period investigators are now scrutinising.

Australia’s counterterrorism team probes the 2015–2017 stay

The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team confirmed it is investigating the man’s links to Australia, with an update promised “at an appropriate time”. The inquiry is examining his social circles, movements and any contacts from his student years in Melbourne.

The Financial Times reported, citing two people familiar with the investigation, that al-Hammami had visited radical mosques and extremist websites while in Australia. Reuters said it could not independently verify that report.

The FZ1073 cockpit attack

According to the UAE prosecutor general, the co-pilot began carrying out his plan during the flight, assaulting the captain with the crash axe before attempting to take control of the aircraft. Captain Machchhar, despite serious injuries, managed to open the cockpit door, after which passengers and crew entered and restrained the attacker.

The flight plunged about 16,000 feet in roughly 30 seconds before being levelled out. The captain is recovering in stable condition in Abu Dhabi. flydubai has suspended its Tel Aviv operations until further notice while the investigation continues.

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From Oman Air grounding to a British aviation degree

Before joining flydubai about eight months ago, al-Hammami worked for Oman Air, which removed him from flying duties after concerns emerged over his views — a decision first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Royal Air Maroc said he completed a three-month theoretical training period in 2025 but was not selected for employment.

Alongside the unfinished engineering course in Australia, he graduated from Buckinghamshire New University in Britain in 2023 with a degree in aviation management via distance learning — a course the university stresses involved no pilot training.

Conclusion

RMIT’s confirmation adds a concrete chapter to the background of the alleged flydubai attacker: two years in Australia as an engineering student who never graduated. With counterterrorism investigators now tracing those years, and parallel inquiries under way in the UAE, Israel and Australia, the focus has shifted from what happened in the cockpit on 30 September to how the man in the co-pilot’s seat got there.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the alleged flydubai attacker?

Sources familiar with the investigation have identified him as Hammam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national. UAE and Omani authorities have not publicly confirmed his identity.

What did the flydubai co-pilot study in Australia?

He was enrolled in an engineering course at RMIT University in Melbourne but did not complete the qualification. He arrived in 2015 and left Australia in 2017.

Which Australian agencies are investigating?

The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, comprising the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).

Did he train as a pilot in Britain?

No. He completed a three-year distance-learning degree in aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University, graduating in 2023. The university says he did no pilot training there.

What happened on flight FZ1073?

On 30 September 2026, the co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with the cockpit crash axe on the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight and tried to seize control. Passengers and crew subdued him, and the aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The UAE calls it an attempted terrorist act.