Australia and New Zealand investigate Flydubai co-pilot’s past
publishers 27articles 29first reported 4 Oct, 13:15 UTCdeveloping since 4 Oct · 9 editions
Australian and New Zealand authorities are investigating the past of the Flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of an Israel-bound flight and trying to seize control of the aircraft.
The Omani national, identified in media reports as Hamam al-Hammami, is in custody in the United Arab Emirates. Australia’s Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which includes federal and state police and the ASIO intelligence agency, is examining his links to the country. RMIT University confirmed that he enrolled at the Melbourne institution but did not complete an engineering qualification.
New Zealand police said they were also reviewing time the suspect spent there, without disclosing when or where he stayed.
Authorities accuse the co-pilot of attacking captain Smit Machchhar with an emergency axe aboard Flight FZ1073 as it approached Israel. Passengers and crew restrained him, and a reserve pilot took control before the aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The UAE prosecutor general has described the incident as an attempted terrorist act, but Emirati authorities have not publicly established a motive or said whether the suspect acted alone.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a loophole appeared to have allowed an Omani pilot to serve on the flight despite arrangements intended to prevent nationals of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from flying there. He said Israel would strengthen its checks.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 7 articles, 2 with the publisher's own text; 6 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 42 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 27
- Source articles
- 29
- Given to the writer
- 7, 2 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 6
- This version written
- 42 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
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