The pilot accused of attacking his colleague on a flydubai flight spent 175 days in New Zealand in 2018/19 under a six-month student visa.

Hammam al-Hammami has been named as the co-pilot accused of attacking his colleague, Dunedin-trained Captain Smit Machchhar, on board Flight FZ1073 bound for Israel, and trying to seize controls of the flight, carrying more than 170 passengers.

Machchhar was covered in blood when he managed to release the cockpit door, which allowed passengers and crew to overpower the co-pilot and regain control of the flight.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Johnson confirmed today that al-Hammami was in New Zealand between November 2018 and May 2019 on a six-month student visa.

"Immigration records show he arrived in New Zealand on 30 November, 2018 and departed 23 May, 2019, having spent 175 days in the country," Johnson said.

"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."

Johnson said police were reviewing records and undertaking inquiries with regard to the time Hammam al-Hammami spent in New Zealand.

Captain Machchhar completed his early flight training in New Zealand 18 years ago with Mainland Air.

Mainland Air chief executive Philip Kean has related how pleased he was with how his former student managed the ordeal.

A multi-agency Australian counterterrorism unit is investigating the man’s links to Australia.

The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team – which comprises federal police, Victorian state police and the ASIO intelligence agency – was "investigating the man's links to Australia," the Australian Federal Police spokesperson said.

Two sources briefed on the investigation said the co-pilot studied at a university in Melbourne, without identifying which one. A third source said he studied at RMIT University in Melbourne around a decade ago.

In a brief statement on Monday, RMIT confirmed that the co-pilot had been enrolled at the university but he did not successfully complete an engineering qualification. RMIT did not name the co-pilot or say when he studied there.

— additional reporting Reuters