Hammami accused of cockpit axe attack spent 175 days in New Zealand
New Zealand authorities are investigating the background of a co-pilot accused of attacking a flydubai captain with an axe. The suspect spent 175 days in New Zealand for flight training in 2018-2019.
Why it matters
Raises questions about international aviation security protocols and the vetting of pilots trained in foreign jurisdictions.
New Zealand police have revealed the co-pilot accused of attacking a flydubai captain with an emergency axe spent almost six months in New Zealand for flight training.
Hammam al-Hammami was in New Zealand for 175 days between November 2018 and May 2019 on a six-month student visa.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Johnson said al-Hammami was in the country to “complete a portion of his flight training for a UK-based company, no longer operating in New Zealand”.
“Police are presently reviewing records and undertaking inquiries with regard to the time he spent in New Zealand.”
Johnson earlier told the Herald police were aware al-Hammami had been in New Zealand but would not say when he was here, for how long or what he did while here.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in