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

What the report says

United Arab Emirates officials say the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking a Flydubai flight developed extremist views while studying in Australia, according to reporting by BBC World News. UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said interrogations suggested signs of radicalisation first emerged in 2017, and that the pilot was influenced by extremist material and online content. The man has been widely named as Hamam al-Hammami.

The allegations relate to an incident on 30 September involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with more than 170 passengers and crew on board. Officials say the co-pilot stabbed the captain with an emergency axe in the cockpit and was later overpowered after passengers took back control of the aircraft. The plane was diverted and landed in Saudi Arabia. UAE authorities also allege he was attempting a suicide attack aimed at Tel Aviv’s airport.

BBC World News reports that Melbourne’s RMIT confirmed the pilot studied there but left before completing an engineering qualification. Australian authorities, including the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, have said they are examining the man’s links to Australia. The case has also prompted questions about airline security checks and how he was cleared to fly the route.

More broadly, the allegations raise concerns about how extremist views can develop over time and how aviation employers screen crew members. Those points are general context; the specific claims above come from UAE officials and reporting cited by BBC World News.