Flydubai hijacker's years in Australia under scrutiny as authorities probe link to country - report

OCTOBER 4, 2026 14:16Australian law enforcement authorities have launched a broad security investigation into the country's links to Hamam al-Hamami, the copilot accused of trying to hijack and crash a flydubai aircraft bound for Israel, the BBC reported on Sunday.Australian police confirmed in an official statement to the BBC on Sunday morning that they were conducting an in-depth investigation into the suspect's background. The complex investigation is being carried out in cooperation with state police forces and the country's national security agency to trace his movements and activities in Australia.The main focus of Australian counterterrorism officials, according to a report by ABC, is determining whether Hamami underwent ideological radicalization while in the country.Sources familiar with the case said Hamam Hamami, identified as an Omani citizen, stayed in Australia on a student visa issued to him in 2014. He studied in the country from 2015 to 2017, when he left.ABC also reported that authorities ultimately canceled his visa in 2019 after determining he was no longer enrolled in active academic studies and had failed to meet the conditions of his stay.Travelers board a FlyDubai aircraft at Ben Gurion International Airport after a separate FlyDubai flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency signal, in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel, September 30, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)Hamami's identification as the copilot responsible for the attack was also reported by prominent international media outlets, including Reuters, CNN, and The New York Times.The investigation into his past has taken on greater significance following the events of September 30. Hamami was arrested immediately after the emergency landing and is currently being questioned by Saudi authorities. On Saturday, the United Arab Emirates' attorney-general stated unequivocally that the incident constituted an attempted terrorist act.Hamami's Australian connection and the apparent failure to prevent him from continuing his aviation career are now raising serious questions internationally, particularly following reports in US media that he had previously been removed from flight training with Oman Air because of substantiated concerns regarding his extremist views, but nevertheless later found his way back into the cockpit.Hamami had over 2,000 social media posts showing his radicalizationA Telegraph investigation published on Sunday analyzed more than 2,000 posts from a social media account directly linked to Hamami, published between November 2021 and August 2022.Using the name "Pilot Hamam al-Hamami," he described himself as a civilian pilot from Muscat and shared biographical details matching his known identity. His posts revealed a consistent and disturbing pattern of support for physical violence against women, homophobic violence, and sexual humiliation.In one online exchange, Hamami wrote to a woman: "I would crush your head, wipe the floor with you, make an example of you so others would see and fear, and then divorce you."In another post, he expressed support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine while linking it to a justification for violence against a woman. Responding to a discussion about a man who had hit a woman, the copilot wrote: "He gave her a preventive slap so she would redefine her boundaries, just as Russia slapped Ukraine to adjust its borders."In the same discussion, he added that if a woman "even breathes" near the man, he should "crush her head."Follow us on Google