New Zealand police have initiated an investigation into Hamam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani co-pilot for flydubai, following an alleged hijacking attempt aboard a flight bound for Tel Aviv. The incident occurred when passengers and crew intervened to prevent what authorities characterize as a terrorist attack. According to the United Arab Emirates’ prosecutor general, al-Hammami allegedly used a crash axe and stabbed the pilot during the mid-air confrontation. Israeli officials and regional authorities suspect the attack may have been originally planned for July before being postponed.
New Zealand police assistant commissioner Michael Johnson confirmed that al-Hammami was in the country between November 30, 2018 and May 23, 2019 on a student visa spanning 175 days. During that period, he completed a portion of his flight training for a UK-based aviation company that has since ceased operations in New Zealand. The police investigation now focuses on al-Hammami’s activities and associations during his time in the country.
The incident has prompted multiple nations to examine al-Hammami’s background and motivations. Australian security agencies launched their own inquiry after discovering he spent approximately two years there as a student until 2017, during which he abandoned an engineering degree at RMIT University in Melbourne. Reports have surfaced of social media posts linked to al-Hammami that describe his overseas study years as “the golden years of my religious commitment,” suggesting a shift in his religious observance after returning to Oman.
The aircraft captain, Smit Machchhar, who also received training in New Zealand, managed to unlock the cockpit door despite sustaining injuries from repeated blows, allowing passengers to overpower al-Hammami. A reserve flydubai pilot traveling aboard the flight assumed control and safely landed the aircraft at a regional airport in north-western Saudi Arabia. Al-Hammami was subsequently detained by Saudi authorities. Australian Jewish community leaders have called for thorough investigation of al-Hammami’s associations and potential influences during his time in the country.
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