RMIT University in Melbourne confirmed that Hammam al-Hammami, identified by media as the flydubai co-pilot who allegedly attempted to hijack an Israel-bound flight on September 30, studied there but left before completing his engineering course. The Australian federal police are investigating al-Hammami’s time in Australia, including his visa status and connections. RMIT stated it cannot provide further details due to the ongoing investigation.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 30, 2026, a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia after signaling distress codes due to a fight between its pilots. The plane was carrying around 150 people, mostly Israeli citizens. Initial reports sparked fears of a hijacking, prompting the Israeli Air Force to scramble fighter jets as a precautionary measure. However, security officials later clarified that there were no signs of a hijacking and all passengers were safe. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held emergency consultations over the incident, while the plane was expected to land in Saudi Arabia shortly for further investigation.
Written for “Israel Bound Flight Diverted” on 2026-10-10,
grounded in this article and the 343 other(s) covering the same event.
An Australian university has confirmed a flydubai co-pilot who allegedly tried to hijack an Israel-bound flight studied at its Melbourne campus, but left before completing his qualification.
uncertain
who → confirm → qualification
Disaster was narrowly averted on 30 September when passengers and crew intervened to stop the alleged attempt of the co-pilot, identified by media outlets as Hammam al-Hammami, to take control of a flight to Tel Aviv with 182 people onboard.
asserted
passengers → avert → people
The United Arab Emirates’ prosecutor general said the co-pilot allegedly used a crash axe in the attempted “terrorist attack”, in which the pilot was stabbed mid-air.
uncertain
pilot → say → which
Numerous media outlets have named the co-pilot al-Hammami, an Omani national.
asserted
outlets → name → pilot
On Monday, the RMIT university in Melbourne said in a statement that it “is aware of media reporting of a former student alleged to be involved in the Flydubai flight incident”.
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it → say → incident
“The individual was enrolled at RMIT but did not successfully complete an engineering qualification,” the university
“As this is an ongoing investigation, the University is unable to provide further comment.”
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University → enrol → comment
Former RMIT engineering students contacted by Guardian Australia said they did not remember al-Hammami.
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they → contact → Hammami
RMIT university’s confirmation came after the Australian federal police (AFP) on Sunday said agencies were investigating the man’s time in the country.
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agencies → come → country
A source familiar with the case, but not authorised to speak publicly, has said the man was granted an Australian student visa in 2014, before arriving in the country to commence a university course the next year.
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man → authorise → course
He left Australia in 2017, and his visa was cancelled in 2019 after authorities confirmed he was no longer enrolled in the course, the source said.
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source → leave → course
The AFP on Sunday said multiple agencies – including the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) – were probing the man’s connections to the country.
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agencies → say → country
“The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (VIC JCTT), comprising the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO, can confirm it is investigating the man’s links to Australia,” an AFP spokesperson said.
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spokesperson → comprise → Australia
“An update will be provided at an appropriate time.”
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update → provide → time
Court records and previous media reporting show that a number of Australians charged with terror offences or suspected of Islamic extremism studied at RMIT around the same time as al-Hammami, but there was no indication he knew any of these individuals.
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he → show → individuals
A British university, Buckinghamshire New University, has confirmed a student named Hamam al-Hammami had “previously completed a distance-learning course in aviation management”.
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student → confirm → management
It added: “He did not undertake any pilot training at the university.”
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He → add → university
A flydubai spokesperson on Saturday said the circumstances surrounding the incident were still under investigation and the airline was not in a position to comment further.
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airline → say → position
The airline’s flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv were suspended after the attack.
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flights → suspend → attack
The Omani co-pilot and the flight’s Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, were taken to the UAE, as it leads the investigation.
asserted
it → take → investigation
Officials have said a number of countries including Israel are participating.
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number → say → Israel
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the co-pilot had been barred from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views.
asserted
he → report → views
He was then moved to an administrative job at Oman Air, according to the official, before being hired by the UAE-based budget airline flydubai.
uncertain
He → move → airline
The Aporia
