A Melbourne university has confirmed that the co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv studied there but did not complete his engineering degree. The incident, which occurred on September 30, was foiled when passengers and crew intervened after the co-pilot allegedly attempted to seize control of the aircraft carrying 182 people.

The United Arab Emirates’ prosecutor general reported that the co-pilot used a crash axe during the alleged attack, and the pilot was stabbed while in flight. The man, identified by several media outlets as Hammam al-Hammami, is an Omani national.

RMIT University acknowledged the media reports on Monday, stating the individual had been enrolled at its Melbourne campus but did not graduate. Due to the ongoing investigation, the university declined to provide additional information. Former students at the university said they did not recall al-Hammami during their studies.

Australian authorities are actively investigating al-Hammami’s connections to the country. According to a source familiar with the case, he was granted a student visa in 2014 and arrived to begin university studies the following year but left in 2017. His visa was cancelled in 2019 after it was confirmed he was no longer enrolled. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) are among agencies involved in the inquiry.

An AFP spokesperson confirmed that the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which includes AFP, Victoria Police, and ASIO, is examining al-Hammami's links to Australia, with further updates promised at an appropriate time.

Court records show that several individuals linked to terror offenses or suspected extremism had also studied at RMIT around the same period, though there is no indication al-Hammami was connected to them.

Separately, Buckinghamshire New University in the United Kingdom confirmed that a student named Hamam al-Hammami completed a distance-learning course in aviation management but did not undertake any pilot training there.

Flydubai has not commented extensively on the case, saying the situation remains under investigation. Following the incident, the airline suspended flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv. Both the Omani co-pilot and the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, were taken to the UAE for questioning as part of the broader probe, which includes input from Israeli authorities.

Reports indicate that al-Hammami had previously been barred from flying by the Omani government due to concerns over his extremist views. He was subsequently reassigned to an administrative position at Oman Air before being employed by flydubai, according to sources cited by international media.