The Omani co-pilot accused of launching a violent, mid-air attack aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Israel last week spent a period of time in New Zealand, authorities have confirmed. Flight FZ1073, carrying more than 170 passengers, suffered a terrifying 16,625-foot plunge in just over 30 seconds after the co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly struck Indian Captain Smit Machchhar in the cockpit with an emergency axe and attempted to seize control of the aircraft.
Investigation into New Zealand Connections
New Zealand Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Johnson confirmed that national law enforcement is aware of al-Hammami’s past residency in the country. “We are looking into the time he spent here, alongside other agencies where appropriate. We are unable to comment further at this time,” Johnson stated to RNZ. Meanwhile, Immigration New Zealand declined to answer specific queries regarding when al-Hammami entered the country, the exact type of visa he held, or whether security flags were raised during his application process, directing all inquiries back to police. New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service (SIS) has also been approached regarding his entry.
The aircraft’s captain, Smit Machchhar, has been widely hailed as a hero following the harrowing incident last Wednesday. Captain Machchhar completed his early flight training in New Zealand 18 years ago with Mainland Air. Philip Kean, chief executive of Mainland Air, told the New Zealand Herald that Machchhar trained in Dunedin from 2008 to 2009 and later worked as a recruitment agent based in India. Kean described Machchhar as an “above average” pilot and a “bit of a livewire,” adding, “It’s a long way to drop. It’s lucky it didn’t fall apart; those pilots did a great job at recovering the plane.”
Co-pilot attacks captain with emergency axe
Details emerging from international investigations paint a chaotic picture of the attack. According to UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, quoted by state news agency WAM, the co-pilot “had attempted to carry out a terrorist act” and “attacked the captain in the cockpit with the emergency axe and tried to take control of the aircraft.” Flightradar24 data indicated the aircraft lost around 5,180 meters (17,000 feet) of altitude in the span of a minute as passengers rushed the flight deck.
Captain Machchhar recounted that the assault began after the co-pilot asked for time to pray. “My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft and something is not right,” Machchhar said. “But then after that the blows kept coming one after the other. That’s when I realised that it’s not the aircraft, it’s the other guy who was in the cockpit with me.” Despite being severely injured and covered in blood, Machchhar managed to force open the cockpit door, enabling Israeli passengers and Emirati crew members to overpower al-Hammami and force an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Intelligence and media reports have since revealed mounting concerns regarding the suspect’s background. Multiple outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Al Arabiya, reported that Omani authorities had previously barred al-Hammami from flying over suspicions of radical ideological views, and he was removed from a job at Oman’s national airline last year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the suspect had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination.” Additionally, ABC News reported that senior law enforcement officials found the suspect in possession of extremist materials during his time as a trainee.
Al-Hammami remains in custody in the United Arab Emirates as international investigators continue to probe the exact motive behind the attempted hijacking.
