Flydubai attacker began a 'drift towards extremism and terrorism' in Australia, UAE says

The Omani co-pilot of a Flydubai flight, widely identified as Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly attempted to hijack the plane, aiming to crash it into Tel Aviv Airport in a suicide attack, according to UAE officials. The incident, which took place on September 30th, began as a routine flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. It escalated into a fight for survival when the pilot allegedly stabbed another crew member inside the cockpit. Passengers overpowered the attacker, allowing the plane to land safely in Saudi Arabia.

UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi revealed that the 29-year-old pilot had been influenced by al-Qaeda's 9/11 attacks and had a drift towards extremism and terrorism starting in 2017, while he was studying at Melbourne's RMIT University. His radicalization was fueled by extremist literature and online content promoting terrorist organizations and suicide attacks.

The pilot had reportedly prepared himself both psychologically and physically for the attack by intensifying his exposure to terrorist material and training in boxing.

The attacker had been issued an Australian student visa in 2014 and studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017. He left the country before completing his engineering qualification. Australian authorities are investigating the man's connections to Australia. The crash-axe-wielding attacker has been hailed as a hero by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for his actions, and questions are being raised about security lapses, including how the attacker was hired by Flydubai.