AFP confirms investigation of flydubai co-pilot's Australian links
The United Arab Emirates are leading a probe into the alleged attempt to crash a flydubai plane. (Reuters: Ammar Awad)
The Australian Federal Police is investigating Australian links to a flydubai pilot who allegedly attacked a colleague in the cockpit.
The pilot was stabbed by his co-pilot in an alleged attempt to crash the plane on Wednesday.
The investigation is being conducted by the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, comprising the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) says it is investigating Australian links to a flydubai pilot who allegedly attacked a colleague in the cockpit.
The pilot, Β Smit Machcharr, was stabbed by his co-pilot in an alleged attempt to crash the flydubai plane on Wednesday.Β
The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, including diplomats, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
The jet plunged nearly 14,000 feet (4,267 metres) in less than 30 seconds in the incident.
The flight bound for Tel Aviv was carrying 174 people and was forced to divert to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.
The investigation is being conducted by the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, comprising the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO, an AFP spokesperson said.
An AFP spokesperson said an update would be provided "at an appropriate time".
Sources close to the incident have confirmed the co-pilot was issued a student visa in 2014 and studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017, whereafter he left the country.
The ABC understands his visa was not cancelled on character grounds, but due to his lack of enrolment in a course, rendering him ineligible for a student visa.
The ABC understands the Joint Counter Terrorism Team investigation will examine whether the man was radicalised while in Australia.
The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain with an axe and trying to seize the controls was an Omani national who had been barred from flying on his country's airline because of concerns about extremist views, officials said.
The United Arab Emirates, which is leading a separate investigation, said the co-pilot attacked with the cockpit's crash axe and tried to take control of the plummeting plane in a "terrorist attack".Β
His actions nearly crashed the flight before passengers and others rushed in and subdued him.
The new details raised questions about how thoroughly flydubai vets potential employees, and how the co-pilot's presence on a flight filled with Israeli passengers got past Israel's strict security protocols.
Israel has said it has agreements with foreign carriers to keep pilots of nations without diplomatic ties from flying there.Β
Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations.Β
The UAE government has earned a reputation for effective measures against extremist activities but has bristled in the past over criticism of security lapses.
