Key facts
- The flydubai co-pilot who attacked the captain with a crash axe had completed part of his flight training in New Zealand.
- New Zealand police confirmed the co-pilot was in the country on a student visa from November 30, 2018, to May 23, 2019.
- The co-pilot was training for a UK-based company that no longer operates in New Zealand.
- The UAE prosecutor general called the incident a "terrorist attack".
- The co-pilot is reportedly an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami.
The co-pilot of a flydubai flight bound for Israel from Dubai had completed a portion of his flight training in New Zealand seven years ago, New Zealand police said on Tuesday.
Police confirmed the man was in New Zealand on a student visa between November 2018 and May 2019. "Immigration records show he arrived in New Zealand on 30 November 2018 and departed 23 May 2019," New Zealand Assistant Commissioner Michael Johnson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
"Police can confirm the co-pilot was in New Zealand to complete a portion of his flight training for a UK-based company, no longer operating in New Zealand," he added. Police are reviewing records and undertaking inquiries about the time he spent in New Zealand.
The co-pilot attacked the pilot with an emergency crash axe, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general has said, calling the incident a "terrorist attack".
Two sources have said the co-pilot is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami. Israeli officials have not named the co-pilot but have said he is from Oman. UAE authorities and flydubai have not publicly disclosed the co-pilot's identity.