UAE says Flydubai attacker's extremist views began in Australia in 2017

UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said a Flydubai co-pilot launched a suicide attack against flight FZ1073, an act rooted in extremist views that began while he studied in Australia. Al-Shamsi said the 29-year-old, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, tried to steer the aircraft toward Tel Aviv's airport on 30 September.

"The findings indicated that signs of his drift towards extremism and terrorism first emerged in 2017, while he was studying in Australia," al-Shamsi said. Interrogations revealed al-Hammami was inspired by the 2001 al-Qaeda attacks and accessed radical literature and online content glorifying violence. Australian authorities later confirmed he held a student visa starting in 2014 and attended classes in Australia, Britain, and New Zealand between 2015 and 2017.

Deleted social media posts from the co-pilot described his time abroad as the golden years of his religious commitment. Investigators noted he trained with a private boxing coach and mentally prepared for the plot before claiming he acted alone. Police in Australia are currently reviewing his local ties alongside UAE prosecutors.

Flight FZ1073 carried more than 170 passengers and crew when the assault began. The co-pilot struck the captain with an emergency crash axe inside the cockpit. Indian co-pilot Capt Smit Machchhar unlocked the door during the attack, allowing passengers to rush in and overpower the attacker. A crew member then safely landed the plane in Saudi Arabia.

Questions have surfaced regarding how al-Hammami cleared security screening. Regional officials reported that Oman Air previously barred him from flying due to extremist concerns and reassigned him to an administrative role. Flydubai subsequently hired him after standard checks that did not screen for radicalization. Israeli aviation rules also prohibit pilots from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel, such as Oman, from operating flights into the country.