New Zealand probes alleged flydubai hijacker's flight training history

New Zealand police have opened an investigation into the background of the flydubai co-pilot accused of trying to hijack an Israel-bound flight, after confirming he spent 175 days in the country for flight training. The move adds a new country to the widening international inquiry into Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, following the alleged mid-air attack on 30 September. The flight was carrying 182 people when passengers and crew intervened to stop the incident.

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Police assistant commissioner Michael Johnson said the man was in New Zealand on a student visa from 30 November 2018 to 23 May 2019. He said police can confirm the co-pilot was in New Zealand to complete part of his flight training for a UK-based company that is no longer operating in the country. Authorities have not said at this stage what, if anything, they believe his time in New Zealand may have contributed to the alleged attack.

The alleged incident has already prompted scrutiny in several countries. According to the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general, the co-pilot allegedly used a crash axe in what was described as a terrorist attack, and the pilot was stabbed mid-air. Israeli and other officials in the region suspect he may originally have planned the attack for July before postponing it.

New Zealand police said they are now examining his time in the country as part of that broader effort to establish his movements and intentions. The case has significance beyond the immediate criminal investigation because it touches on aviation security, cross-border cooperation and the monitoring of people moving through training systems in different jurisdictions. The fact that the suspect is alleged to have trained in more than one country has increased attention on how aviation-related education and screening are handled.

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It also raises questions for authorities trying to determine whether the alleged attack was planned alone or with others. The New Zealand inquiry follows separate scrutiny in Australia, where security agencies began examining the suspect's background after it emerged he had spent about two years there as a student until 2017. RMIT University in Melbourne confirmed he left without completing his engineering degree.

Reports have also pointed to now-deleted social media material believed to be linked to him, although authorities have not publicly confirmed the content or its relevance to the case. What remains unclear is how the different strands of the investigation connect, including whether the suspect's time in New Zealand had any operational relevance to the alleged hijacking attempt. Police have not disclosed any findings from the new inquiry, and no charges or conclusions have been announced in New Zealand.

The wider investigation is continuing across multiple countries as officials try to reconstruct his movements, training history and possible intent.

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