WELLINGTON- New Zealand has opened an investigation into the background of a flydubai (FZ) co-pilot accused of attempting to seize control of an Israel-bound passenger aircraft, expanding an international inquiry into the alleged cockpit attack.
Authorities confirmed that Omani national Hamam al-Hammami completed part of his flight training in New Zealand in 2018–2019, following his departure from an engineering degree programme in Australia.
The investigation follows an incident on September 30, 2026, when passengers and crew intervened to stop the alleged hijacking attempt aboard a flight carrying 182 people to Tel Aviv (TLV).
The captain, Smit Machchhar, suffered injuries during the mid-air confrontation, but managed to help passengers gain access to the cockpit and overpower the co-pilot before a reserve pilot landed the aircraft in north-western Saudi Arabia.
New Zealand Training Probe
New Zealand police assistant commissioner Michael Johnson confirmed that Hammami stayed in the country on a student visa for 175 days, from November 30, 2018, to May 23, 2019.
During that period, he completed part of his flight training for a UK-based company that no longer operates in New Zealand.
Johnson said police were investigating Hammami’s time in the country as authorities sought to establish his background and determine whether anyone else contributed to the alleged attack.
The inquiry adds another international dimension to efforts to understand the co-pilot’s movements, associations and possible motives before the September incident.
The investigation does not, by itself, establish that Hammami developed extremist views or planned an attack while in New Zealand.
Authorities have yet to publicly establish the full circumstances behind the alleged cockpit assault or whether the co-pilot acted alone.
Australia Examines Hammami’s Background
Australian security agencies began examining Hammami’s time in the country after reports emerged that he had studied there for approximately two years before leaving in 2017.
Melbourne-based RMIT University confirmed that he departed without completing his engineering degree.
The Australian inquiry is also examining his associations and activities during his student years. A now-deleted social media profile believed to belong to Hammami reportedly contained a photograph of him with other teenagers in a Melbourne central business district shopping centre.
Separately, a report by The Telegraph cited a post from a deleted X account believed to be linked to Hammami.
The post reportedly described his years studying overseas as the “golden years of my religious commitment” and claimed that he became less observant after returning to Oman.
The account’s ownership and the statements attributed to it have not been independently established in the supplied reporting.
On Wednesday, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry called for a thorough investigation into Hammami’s connections in Australia. Its co-chief executive, Alex Ryvchin, urged authorities to establish who associated with the suspect and whether anyone influenced his alleged ideology.
Cockpit Attack Investigation Ensues
The alleged attack took place aboard a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv on September 30. According to the UAE prosecutor general, Hammami allegedly used a crash axe during the confrontation and stabbed the captain in the cockpit.
Machchhar later described feeling a heavy blow to the back of his head after Hammami left his seat to pray. He said the repeated blows made him realise that the threat came from his fellow pilot rather than an aircraft malfunction, The Guardian flagged.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit security door, allowing passengers to intervene.
A reserve flydubai pilot travelling on the aircraft then took control and landed at an airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, where Saudi authorities detained Hammami.
Investigators in several countries are now examining the suspect’s history and the possibility that he had considered an attack earlier.
Reports citing regional officials indicate that investigators believe the alleged plan may initially have targeted July, although the reasons for any postponement remain unclear.
The inquiries in New Zealand and Australia are part of a broader effort to reconstruct Hammami’s movements, identify possible associates and establish whether the alleged attack involved anyone beyond the co-pilot.
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