Flydubai attack investigation widens as alleged hijacker’s training in New Zealand scrutinised

The Flydubai attack investigation has widened to the Southern Hemisphere, with New Zealand police confirming that Hamam al-Hammami, the 29-year-old Omani co-pilot accused of trying to crash flydubai Flight FZ1073 on September 30, spent 175 days in the country on a student visa completing part of his flight training.

The probe into his background now spans at least six countries. Australian counterterrorism agencies are separately examining his nearly two years as a student in Melbourne, while the United Arab Emirates leads the criminal inquiry into what its prosecutor general has designated an attempted terrorist attack on the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight.

All 182 people aboard the Boeing 737 – 174 passengers and eight crew – survived after the aircraft plunged more than 16,000 feet during a cockpit struggle and made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on the September 30 flight to Tel Aviv.

Key Facts

• Flight: flydubai FZ1073, Dubai to Tel Aviv, September 30, 2026.
• Accused: Hamam al-Hammami, 29, an Omani national and the flight’s co-pilot, identified in media reports as the attacker. The UAE and flydubai have not publicly confirmed his identity.
• Attack: He allegedly struck Captain Smit Machchhar with the cockpit’s emergency crash axe and tried to seize the controls; the aircraft lost more than 16,000 feet before crew and passengers restrained him.
• On board: 174 passengers and eight crew, 182 people in total – all survived; the wounded captain helped bring the aircraft under control before it diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
• New Zealand: 175 days, from November 30, 2018 to May 23, 2019, on a six-month student visa, completing part of his flight training for a UK-based company no longer operating in the country.
• Australia: Nearly two years as a student in Melbourne until 2017, studying engineering at RMIT University, which he left without completing the degree; a multi-agency counterterrorism unit is examining his time there.
• Legal status: The UAE prosecutor general has designated the incident an attempted “terrorist attack”; al-Hammami is in UAE custody and no formal charges have been announced.

New Zealand Reviews 175-Day Training Stay

New Zealand police confirmed the details in a statement on Tuesday, October 6, issued in response to Reuters. Immigration records show al-Hammami arrived in New Zealand on November 30, 2018 and departed on May 23, 2019 – a 175-day stay on a six-month student visa, roughly eighteen months after he left Australia.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Johnson said in an emailed statement that police could confirm the co-pilot had been in New Zealand to complete a portion of his flight training for a UK-based company that no longer operates in the country. Police are now reviewing records and undertaking inquiries about his time there, seeking to establish whether he acted alone in the alleged attack.

A small New Zealand airfield beneath the Southern Alps. Police confirmed al-Hammami completed part of his flight training in the country between November 2018 and May 2019.

Australia Probes Melbourne Student Years

Australia has opened a separate investigation into al-Hammami’s links to the country. The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which brings together federal and state police and intelligence agencies, is examining his years in Melbourne, where sources briefed on the investigation say he studied at RMIT University about a decade ago.

Reports say he received an Australian student visa in 2014, arrived in 2015 to study engineering and left in 2017 without completing the degree; his visa was later cancelled in 2019 after authorities confirmed he was no longer enrolled. The Financial Times reported, citing sources familiar with the Australian investigation, that he had allegedly visited what it described as “radical mosques and extremist websites” while in the country – claims Reuters said it could not independently verify.

Australia’s peak Jewish body, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, has called for a comprehensive investigation into al-Hammami’s associations during his time in the country, underscoring how the inquiry has widened beyond aviation authorities to counterterrorism agencies.

The September 30 Attack on Flight FZ1073

The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight was about two hours and twenty minutes into its journey when al-Hammami allegedly launched his attack inside the cockpit. Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was struck with the emergency crash axe but, despite severe wounds, managed to open the cockpit door. Passengers – almost all Israeli – and crew then forced their way in and restrained the co-pilot, while two off-duty flydubai pilots travelling as passengers helped stabilise the aircraft and land it safely.

Flight data showed the Boeing 737 plunging more than 16,000 feet during the struggle before the crew regained control. Both pilots were taken to hospital after the emergency landing at Tabuk, and flydubai later suspended its Tel Aviv flights. The incident has since been described by the UAE’s prosecutor general, Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, as an attempted terrorist act, with investigations continuing into motive and possible accomplices.

An airliner wing above the clouds. The September 30 cockpit attack aboard Flight FZ1073 ended with an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia and all 182 people on board surviving.

Attack Reportedly Planned Before Flydubai Hiring

Investigators believe the attack was premeditated long before the September 30 flight. Two Israeli officials with knowledge of the UAE probe told Reuters that al-Hammami said he had researched which airlines flew to Tel Aviv before applying to the Dubai state-owned carrier, and that he had planned the operation even before he was hired. The Associated Press independently reported that the initial UAE-led investigation found he had originally planned an attack in July and had specifically sought work with an airline serving Israel.

Regional and Israeli officials said the July attempt was abandoned – possibly because a friend was among the crew – and that he had also flown a Tel Aviv flight earlier in 2026 on which he intended to act but backed off. Interrogation accounts reported by Israeli media indicate his stated target was Ben Gurion Airport, with Tel Aviv high-rise buildings also considered. These accounts come from officials and interrogation reports rather than a public court record, and the UAE has not announced formal charges.

International Flydubai Attack Investigation Widens

The Flydubai attack investigation now stretches across at least six countries, with the UAE leading, Saudi Arabia and Israel involved, and New Zealand and Australia examining his past. The central unanswered questions are whether al-Hammami acted entirely alone and how he passed the vetting that put him in the cockpit of a Tel Aviv-bound flight.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said a “loophole” appears to have allowed a pilot who is a national of a country without diplomatic relations with Israel to fly the route, and that Israel will now strengthen its checks on foreign carriers. The case has raised broader questions about crew vetting standards across the aviation industry, a story followed in Watan News’ world news coverage.

Conclusion

The investigation into the flydubai co-pilot has expanded from the cockpit of Flight FZ1073 into a multi-country inquiry spanning New Zealand’s flight schools, Melbourne’s universities and counterterrorism files in at least six countries. Authorities are reconstructing al-Hammami’s movements year by year to determine whether he acted alone and how the alleged plot went undetected.

For aviation security, the stakes go beyond one flight: the case has exposed gaps in pilot vetting and cross-border information sharing that regulators and airlines will be pressed to close. With the suspect in UAE custody and formal charges still unannounced, the investigation is far from over.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on flydubai Flight FZ1073 on September 30?

Co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with the cockpit’s emergency crash axe about two hours into the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight and tried to seize the controls. The aircraft lost more than 16,000 feet before crew and passengers restrained him, and it made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All 182 people on board survived.

Who is Hamam al-Hammami?

He is a 29-year-old Omani national who served as co-pilot on the flight. His identity has been reported by media citing sources; the UAE authorities and flydubai have not publicly confirmed it. He is in UAE custody, and the UAE prosecutor general has designated the incident an attempted “terrorist attack”.

What did New Zealand police confirm about his stay?

That al-Hammami was in New Zealand for 175 days – from November 30, 2018 to May 23, 2019 – on a six-month student visa, completing part of his flight training for a UK-based company no longer operating in the country. Assistant Commissioner Michael Johnson confirmed the details to Reuters; police are reviewing records of his time there.

What are Australian authorities investigating?

The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team is examining al-Hammami’s nearly two years as a student in Melbourne until 2017, where he studied engineering at RMIT University without completing the degree. Reports that he visited “radical mosques and extremist websites” there have not been independently verified.

Which countries are involved in the investigation?

At least six countries’ police and security agencies are involved: the UAE leads the criminal probe, Saudi Arabia and Israel are participating, and New Zealand and Australia are examining his training and student years. Investigators are working to determine whether he acted alone.