Australia investigates Flydubai co pilot following alleged cockpit attack on flight

Australian state police and national security agencies have launched an investigation into a Flydubai co-pilot who attempted to take control of an Israel-bound plane, the BBC and the Guardian reported. The suspect reportedly spent around two years in Australia as a student on a student visa, according to reports from the Guardian, WION, and News18. [1][2][3][5]

The BBC reported that the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with a crash axe during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Passengers and crew managed to overpower the co-pilot, and the plane was subsequently diverted to Saudi Arabia after control was regained, according to the BBC and FTMQ News. [1][10]

Australian authorities have not publicly identified the co-pilot, though multiple news outlets have named him, the BBC reported. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the aircraft plunged 17,000 feet during the cockpit attack, and the suspect had previously been banned from flying in Oman due to concerns regarding extremist views. [1][10]

Flydubai is a government-owned airline based at Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates. Australian police confirmed that security agencies are continuing to review the period the suspect spent in the country. [2][7]