Australian security agencies investigate Flydubai co-pilot following flight attack

Australian security agencies have launched an investigation into a Flydubai co-pilot who allegedly attempted to hijack an Israel-bound flight, after learning that he spent approximately two years living in Australia as a student. The Guardian and Yahoo News Australia both reported that authorities are probing the suspect's background and time spent in the country. The Guardian reported that disaster was narrowly averted on Wednesday when passengers and crew intervened to regain control of the aircraft. [1][2]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami attacked the captain with a cockpit crash axe during the flight to Tel Aviv, leading United Arab Emirates authorities to class the event as a terrorist attack. Passengers and crew stepped in after the aircraft plunged 17,000 feet during the struggle. According to The Australia Today, the flight captain, named as Smit Machchhar, is currently recovering from his injuries. [1][3][8][9]

Prior to joining the airline, the co-pilot was barred from flying by authorities in Oman over concerns about Islamist radical indoctrination and extremist views, according to The Australia Today and earlier reports by FTMQ News. Flydubai was established in March 2008 by the Government of Dubai as a government-owned low-cost carrier based in the United Arab Emirates. [3][4][6][8][9]