Flydubai hijacker studied in UK, New Zealand, Australia, countries investigating - report
Hammami trained with L3 Airline Academy, now a part of Acron Aviation, a pilot-training company with centers in Britain, including in Southampton and Bournemouth.
Hamam al-Hammami, the accused copilot in a failed hijack attempt on a flydubai aircraft, reportedly studied to become a pilot in several countries, including Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. L3 Airline Academy, a pilot-training company with centers in Britain, including in Southampton and Bournemouth, was one of the institutions Hammami attended, according to a report by The Telegraph.
The company, now a part of Acron Aviation, had relationships with Oman Air, where Hammami worked until February 2025, and had designated it as one of five internationally recognized institutions for pilot recruitment. Hammami was fired from Oman Air for expressing views considered too close to Islamic extremism before joining flydubai eight months ago.
Acron Aviation declined to confirm Hammami's enrollment but stated they would assist authorities in any way possible. Hammami's Twitter account, which has since been deleted, revealed his time spent in Australia, Britain, and New Zealand for five years, and included posts advocating for violence against women and restrictive views on marriage, dress, and working outside the home.
New Zealand Police are now investigating Hammami's time spent in their country, alongside other agencies. Australian authorities are also conducting an investigation into whether Hammami had been radicalized during his time in Australia, involving the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, and ASIO. Australian intelligence services reportedly held a file on Hammami, citing visits to radical mosques and extremist websites.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
