Flydubai Co-Pilot Hamam al-Hammami Trained Across UK, Australia, NZ: How Did He Slip Through Safety Checks?

The Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of Flydubai flight FZ1073 during a midair cockpit struggle had received aviation training in several countries, including

The UK and New Zealand, raising questions about how he passed the various checks required to work as a commercial pilot.

Hamam al-Hammami, 29, allegedly attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar with an emergency crash axe during the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight last week. UAE prosecutors have described the incident as a “terrorist attack”.

UK Flight Training

According to a report by The Telegraph, al-Hammami is believed to have trained at L3 Airline Academy, one of the UK’s major pilot-training organisations, between 2018 and 2019.

The England-based academy is part of Acron Aviation and operates training facilities in Southampton and Bournemouth, along with a simulator centre near Gatwick.

Acron Aviation did not confirm whether al-Hammami was among its trainees, citing a policy of not commenting publicly on individual current or former students. The company said it would cooperate with authorities investigating the incident.

Six Months in New Zealand

Al-Hammami also spent about six months in New Zealand in 2018-19 as part of his flight training.

New Zealand Police said he was in the country from November 2018 until May 2019 on a student visa. Police said he had travelled there to complete part of his pilot training for a UK-based company that no longer operates in New Zealand.

The details have added to the international trail of his aviation training and education before he joined commercial airline operations.

Australia Connection Under Investigation

Authorities in Australia are separately examining al-Hammami’s links to the country.

The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team — comprising the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation — is investigating those connections, the Australian Federal Police said.

The investigation is expected to establish the nature and duration of his time in Australia and whether there were any issues relevant to the Flydubai incident.

Melbourne University Link

Al-Hammami also reportedly had an academic connection to Melbourne.

Reuters, citing sources, reported that he had studied at RMIT University. The university confirmed that a former student alleged to be connected to the Flydubai incident had been enrolled there, but did not complete an engineering qualification.

RMIT did not identify the former student.

How Did He Pass Aviation Checks?

The international trail of al-Hammami’s education and pilot training has prompted questions about the safeguards used to assess pilots before they enter commercial aviation.

However, his training history alone does not establish that he had previously failed a safety or security assessment. Investigators will need to determine whether there were any warning signs in his background, training records or employment history that should have triggered additional scrutiny.

The incident occurred aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The UAE prosecutor general has described the cockpit attack as a terrorist incident.

The investigation is now likely to focus not only on what happened inside the cockpit, but also on al-Hammami’s background, training and the checks he underwent before being cleared to operate as a commercial co-pilot.