UAE airline flydubai has announced the suspension of its flights to and from Israel pending an investigation into an altercation on a diverted flight on Wednesday. The decision was made in coordination with the relevant authorities. The incident involved a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that was diverted to Saudi Arabia's Tabuk Airport after a distress call was made.
The altercation on board flight FZ 1073 occurred on September 30, with witnesses and Israel's government reporting that a copilot allegedly stabbed a captain in an apparent attempt to crash the plane. The plane was carrying 174 people, including 166 Israelis, and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Passengers burst into the cockpit and wrestled with the attacker as the plane descended sharply, losing around 17,000 feet of altitude in just one minute.
The plane's emergency landing in Tabuk Airport led to a state of emergency being declared, and the captain and copilot sustained injuries. They were transported to the hospital for medical care. Meanwhile, all passengers were eventually transported safely to Israel on another flydubai flight, with Israel's emergency services treating three passengers with minor injuries.
The incident led to a significant response, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussing the event with US President Donald Trump by phone. Netanyahu revealed that the attacker was an Omani national and was being interrogated in Saudi Arabia. Trump described the incident as "amazing" and recounted a story from Netanyahu about an Israeli plumber who helped regain control of the jet despite having no flying experience.
The Israeli plumber, along with other passengers, was credited with helping to avert a disaster. Trump marveled at the passenger's actions, explaining that he knew what to do because he had watched the show "Air Disasters." The incident raised concerns about a possible hijacking, prompting Israel to scramble warplanes.
Aviation experts expressed surprise that the plane did not crash after such an extreme descent, which ripped off most of the rudder from the tail. The motive behind the attack remains unclear. Saudi Arabia's Tabuk Airport received the distress call and declared a state of emergency, while Saudi Arabia turned down an Israeli request to allow its planes to pick up flydubai passengers.
The incident has sparked an investigation, with flydubai suspending flights to and from Israel until the investigation is complete. The airline confirmed that all passengers were safe, but the reasons for the altercation remain unknown.
Key points
- Flydubai suspends flights to Israel pending investigation into in-flight altercation
- Incident involved copilot allegedly stabbing captain in apparent attempt to crash plane
- Passengers and crew credited with averting disaster during emergency landing
