Flydubai co-pilot completed portion of his flight training in New Zealand, police says

New Zealand police have revealed that the co-pilot of a flydubai flight, who allegedly attempted to crash the aircraft by stabbing the captain, completed a segment of his flight training in New Zealand seven years ago. The man, an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami, was in New Zealand between November 2018 and May 2019, according to immigration records.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Johnson confirmed that the co-pilot was in the country on a six-month student visa to complete his flight training with a UK-based company, which is now defunct. The police are currently reviewing records and investigating the time al-Hammami spent in New Zealand. The incident, which occurred on flydubai flight FZ1073 en route from Dubai to Israel, has been classified as a terrorist attack by the UAE prosecutor general.