United Arab Emirates officials have stated that the Omani co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack a Flydubai flight began a "drift towards extremism and terrorism" while he was studying in Australia. The UAE Attorney-General, Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, further alleged that the pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, had intended to crash the plane into Tel Aviv's airport in a suicide attack.

The incident occurred on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. Al-Shamsi's claims, reported by the UAE's state news agency Wam, suggest that interrogations revealed the 29-year-old pilot was inspired by the September 11 attacks and that signs of his radicalization emerged in 2017 while he was a student in Australia. During this period, he reportedly became influenced by "takfiri [radical] ideology" through extremist literature and online content glorifying terrorist organizations and suicide attacks.

According to the Wam report, al-Hammami admitted to investigators that he had prepared himself psychologically and physically for the plot by increasing his exposure to terrorism-promoting material and undergoing private boxing training. He claimed to have acted alone, though investigations are ongoing to verify this assertion. The pilot allegedly wounded the captain with an emergency crash axe in the cockpit before being overpowered by passengers.

Melbourne university RMIT confirmed that al-Hammami had studied engineering there but left before completing his qualification. Australian authorities confirmed they were investigating the man's links to Australia following the incident. The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, comprising the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, and the security agency ASIO, is conducting this investigation.

Tweets from al-Hammami's now-deleted X account reportedly referred to his five years spent studying abroad in Australia, Britain, and New Zealand as "the golden years of my religious commitment." The man had been issued an Australian student visa in 2014 and studied in the country between 2015 and 2017 before departing.

Over 170 passengers and crew were on board flight FZ1073 when the alleged hijacking attempt took place. The aircraft was safely diverted and landed in Saudi Arabia by another crew member after passengers intervened. Co-pilot Capt Smit Machchhar has been recognized for his actions in unlocking the cockpit door during the attack, allowing passengers to enter and regain control of the aircraft.

The incident has raised questions about security lapses and the radicalization pathways of individuals, particularly those who have spent time studying in Western countries. The UAE's public statements highlight a focus on the pilot's alleged ideological development abroad as a key factor in the alleged attack.

Further investigations are expected to focus on verifying al-Hammami's claims of acting alone and thoroughly examining his activities and influences during his time in Australia and other countries.