What changed
Australia is investigating the Flydubai co-pilot’s links to the country after an alleged cockpit attack forced a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight to divert to Saudi Arabia.
The flight carried more than 170 passengers on 30 September. The UAE prosecutor said the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe, sending the aircraft into a 17,000ft descent. Passengers helped regain access to the cockpit, and two reserve pilots landed safely. Machchhar was injured and is reported to be stable.
Why it matters
The Australian Federal Police said its investigation involves state police and the country’s security agency. Officials are examining the co-pilot’s links to Australia, including reports that he studied there from 2015 to 2017 and that his student visa was cancelled in 2019 after he was no longer enrolled.
That makes the Australian inquiry a question of connection, not conclusion. Authorities have not established that the alleged attack was planned or enabled in Australia, or that the co-pilot was radicalised there. His identity and motive also remain uncertain.
The UAE is investigating the incident and possible motives, while the co-pilot is being questioned by Saudi authorities. The central fact is already stark: an aircraft carrying more than 170 people began falling after an attack inside the cockpit, and survival depended on passengers and reserve pilots getting control back.
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