An investigation has been launched into the alleged Flydubai hijacker's links to Australia after reports emerged he may have studied at a local university.
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he → launch → university
The probe follows reports identifying Hammam Al Hammami, 29, as the co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack the aircraft on Wednesday.
asserted
probe → follow → Wednesday
Al Hammami, an Omani national, allegedly seriously wounded Captain Smit Machchhar with an emergency axe kept in the cockpit before attempting to take control of the Flydubai plane bound for Tel Aviv.
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Hammami → wound → Aviv
Passengers and crew reportedly grappled with Al Hammami to regain control of the plane, which had plummeted 14,000ft in just 29 seconds.
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which → grapple → seconds
A now-deleted LinkedIn profile seen by US media outlets CNN and ABC News reportedly stated that Al Hammami had studied engineering at an Australian university.
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Hammami → delete → university
Daily Mail was not able to independently verify the profile.
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Mail → verify → profile
The university was also not named publicly.
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university → name → ?
On Sunday, the Australian Federal Police confirmed to Daily Mail that it was investigating Al Hammami's links to Australia.
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it → confirm → Australia
Organisations involved in the investigation include the AFP's Victorian counter-terrorism team, Victoria Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.
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Organisations → involve → team
The Australian Financial Review reported that a source familiar with the case, who was not authorised to speak publicly, said Al Hammami had been granted a student visa in 2014.
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Hammami → report → 2014
The visa reportedly ceased in 2019 after a routine check found he had left Australia.
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he → cease → Australia
Media reports have also claimed that Al Hammami studied remotely at a British university and spent time in Syria.
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Hammami → claim → Syria
Earlier, Daily Mail reported Al Hammami had previously worked with Oman's national airline as a trainee in 2024 but was removed from flying because of concerns that he may have been influenced by radical groups from time spent in Syria, according to officials.
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he → report → officials
He was then moved to an administrative job at Oman Air.
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He → move → Air
It had also been confirmed by a Gulf diplomat that Al Hammami had undergone standard security checks before being hired – but it appeared these checks focused on whether he had been convicted on criminal charges and didn't go deeper into examining his background for signs of radicalisation.
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he → confirm → radicalisation
A separate investigation being led by the United Arab Emirates was working to establish whether Al Hammami acted as a 'lone wolf or has any connection with any extremist groups'.
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Hammami → lead → groups
According to state news agency WAM, UAE attorney general Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said 'the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist act' and had 'attacked the captain in the cockpit with the emergency axe and tried to take control of the aircraft'.
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pilot → accord → aircraft
Airlines are generally required to carry crash axes in the cockpit that could be used in an emergency to break open a window or break open a panel to access a fire.
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that → require → fire
The probe follows reports identifying Hammam Al Hammami (pictured) as the co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack the aircraft on Wednesday
The co-pilot (pictured) allegedly used the cockpit's crash axe in his attempt to take control of the Flydubai plane in the 'terrorist attack'
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pilot → follow → attack
A Flydubai spokesman in an email said the airline could not comment beyond its official statements and acknowledged 'there are many questions at this stage'
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airline → say → stage
The axes are stored in the cockpits where the crew can reach them, but they aren't accessible to passengers.
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they → store → passengers
In his first public comments on the incident, Flydubai chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith on Friday said that the flight diverted after a 'safety incident' inside the cockpit.
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flight → say → cockpit
A Flydubai spokesman in an email said the airline could not comment beyond its official statements and acknowledged 'there are many questions at this stage'.
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airline → say → stage
Video footage at the time captured the terrifying screams and cries of passengers onboard Flight FZ1073 that plunged into an erratic descent.
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that → capture → descent
The flight, carrying 182 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.
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flight → carry → landing
It transmitted a general emergency signal using a squawk code – four-digit numbers used for in-flight communication – of 7700 while making a U-turn over the border between the two countries.
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It → transmit → countries
While flying over Saudi Arabia, it briefly issued a code of 7500, signalling unlawful interference or a hijacking.
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it → fly → interference
Flydubai said in a statement it was suspending flights to and from Israel as it investigated Wednesday's incident.
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it → say → incident
The Aporia
