Source : Perth Now news
A Flydubai co-pilot accused of trying to crash a passenger plane into an Israeli airport allegedly developed extremist views while studying in Melbourne, UAE investigators have claimed.
Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, 29, is accused of attacking the captain of flight FZ1073 with an emergency axe on September 30 as the aircraft travelled towards Tel Aviv.
UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said investigators traced the alleged radicalisation to 2017, when al-Hammami was living in Melbourne.
Mr Al Shamsi said al-Hammami became immersed in extremist material glorifying terrorist organisations and suicide bombings before becoming fixated on the September 11 attacks in the US.
Investigators said he pursued a career in aviation with the intention of carrying out a similar attack to kill as many people as possible.
Al-Hammami allegedly took two earlier flights to Tel Aviv to familiarise himself with the route and Ben Gurion Airport before attempting to carry out his plan on a third trip.
The alleged attack was thwarted after the injured captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing another pilot, crew member and passenger to intervene.
The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia where it landed safely.
RMIT confirmed al-Hammami previously studied at the Melbourne University but did not complete an engineering qualification.
He arrived in Australia on a student visa in 2014 and lived in Melbourne between 2015 and 2017, before he left the country and his visa was cancelled in 2019, UAE authorities said.
Investigators are examining his alleged contact with a mosque and an Islamic centre in Melbourne, though authorities have not established that either institution was involved in the alleged plot.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP), Victoria Police and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) are investigating his time in Australia and any potential local connections.
Al-Hammami remains in custody in the UAE.
