Australian security agencies investigate flydubai co-pilot's time in the country after alleged hijack attempt

Australian security agencies have opened an investigation into the time a flydubai co-pilot spent in the country as a student, after the man was accused of attempting to hijack a flight to Tel Aviv, according to The Guardian.

Police confirmed the probe following reports that the co-pilot spent about two years in Australia before the alleged incident. The Guardian reported that disaster was narrowly avoided on Wednesday when passengers and crew intervened to stop the co-pilot's alleged attempt to take control of the flydubai flight, which was carrying 182 people and reportedly plunged 16,625 feet (5,067 meters) in just over 30 seconds before the situation was brought under control.

The investigation into the co-pilot's time in Australia is aimed at establishing whether any aspect of his period in the country is connected to the alleged attempted attack, though the report did not indicate what, if any, findings investigators have made so far.

Aviation security implications

Attempted cockpit takeovers are exceedingly rare in commercial aviation and typically trigger extensive multinational investigations involving airline security teams, aviation regulators and law enforcement in every country connected to the flight or the individuals involved. The flydubai incident, given the scale of the aircraft's reported altitude loss, is likely to draw continued scrutiny from aviation safety authorities.

Flydubai has not been quoted in the available reporting regarding the status of the co-pilot or any internal review following the incident.