New Zealand authorities have confirmed that the co-pilot involved in a recent violent mid-flight incident with his captain previously spent several months in the country for aviation training. Official records indicate the individual held a six-month student visa, residing in New Zealand between late 2018 and May 2019. During this period, he was completing a segment of a flight program commissioned by a UK-based firm that has since ceased its local operations.

The investigation into the suspect’s background has intensified following the mid-air attack on the Flydubai flight, which was en route from Dubai to Israel. Authorities in the UAE have officially classified the stabbing—carried out with an emergency crash axe—as an act of terrorism. While officials have kept the co-pilot’s identity confidential, international agencies, including an Australian counterterrorism unit, are now working to piece together his history and potential motives across multiple jurisdictions.