Australia Probes Co-Pilot's Melbourne Years After Axe Attack on Israel-Bound Flight
Australian counterterrorism investigators are examining the Melbourne past of the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of Israel-bound Flydubai Flight FZ1073 with an axe.
A spokesperson said on Sunday, October 4, 2026, that the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team is leading the inquiry. The team brings together police and intelligence agencies in the Australian state of Victoria. Al Jazeera
The flight was traveling from Dubai toward Israel when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with an axe and tried to seize control of the aircraft. Passengers and crew subdued him. A reserve pilot took the controls and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. UAE authorities later confirmed the attack and said the weapon was a crash axe, a safety tool carried in the cockpit. ABC News
Both the injured captain and the co-pilot were taken to the UAE. A source cited on October 2 said Israeli officials were expected to question the co-pilot. Officials said the Omani co-pilot likely acted alone. Reuters
Media reports identified the co-pilot as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. The Associated Press, citing sources, reported he had been barred from flying in Oman over concerns he had adopted "extremist" views. Reuters, citing sources briefed on the Australian inquiry, reported he studied at RMIT University in Melbourne about a decade ago. The Financial Times, citing two sources familiar with the inquiry, reported he allegedly visited "radical mosques and extremist websites" while in Australia. That claim comes from unnamed officials and has not been detailed publicly by the Victorian team.
UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi labelled the attack an attempted "terrorist act." UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said on Saturday the attack was a new warning that the region's fight against "extremism" is not over. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has longstanding arrangements with foreign airlines to keep pilots who are nationals of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel off Israel-bound flights. He said a "loophole" appears to have allowed the Omani pilot onto the Flydubai flight. Israel would strengthen its checks.
The broader context here is that at least four states are now involved. Australia's role is retrospective and intelligence-led. The UAE holds prosecutorial authority, meaning the power to bring criminal charges. Saudi Arabia was the diversion state, where the plane landed. Israel was the destination state and the intended questioning authority.
Looking at what this means for aviation security, the focus is information-sharing and crew clearance. Like a work schedule that failed to flag a restriction, the roster allowed a pilot previously barred in one jurisdiction to keep flying internationally. Questions now center on how that happened, and whether nationality-based rules for specific routes are enforced consistently by airlines.
Looking ahead for investigators in Melbourne, the work is archival. A university stay a decade ago leaves dated records. They will need to reconstruct travel, associations and online activity, and decide whether that period helps explain motive or is only biographical. That finding will shape extradition, mutual legal assistance between countries, and prosecution decisions elsewhere.
