A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday after a co-pilot attempted to crash the plane, Israeli officials reported. The co-pilot stabbed the pilot, causing the aircraft to plunge nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Passengers and crew entered the cockpit, overpowered the co-pilot, and enabled a second pair of flydubai pilots to land the jet safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The incident occurred on flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which had 174 people on board, mostly Israeli nationals. Israeli officials said the attacker's motive remained under investigation. The co-pilot, identified as an Omani national, was taken into custody by Saudi authorities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the incident was a "serious security incident" and praised the passengers for their bravery.
Passengers described the incident as a miracle and recounted a frantic struggle to prevent a catastrophe. Lital Shachaf, a passenger, said, "It was awful, crazy, and we thank God that we survived it." An Israeli official said a 51-year-old man was taken to an Israeli hospital with injuries to his upper body and was in a "mild condition."
The incident heightened security fears in Israel, weeks before the country's election. Far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on X that "terrorism is a devil with whom no agreement must be reached." Israeli media reported conflicting details about the incident, with some outlets suggesting a pilot had tried to crash the plane in an alleged suicide attempt.
In response to the incident, Israel plans to tighten checks on pilots flying into the country. Doron Spielman, a Netanyahu spokesperson, said, "Every pilot that is going to be flying into Israel, we are going to know the pilots' identities, know who they are, and do some type of security check." Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday, amid close security, military, and economic ties between the two countries.
The UAE government had yet to comment on the incident, while flydubai said an "altercation" occurred in the cockpit and the flight subsequently diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely. The UAE's aviation regulator, the GCAA, said the flight "experienced a security incident that was brought under control."
US President Donald Trump spoke with Netanyahu about the incident, providing a detailed account of what happened. Netanyahu's office released a video showing the prime minister at Ben Gurion Airport, giving a hug to a passenger, Yaniv Hayun, who helped restrain the attacker. Flydubai operates daily return flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a route popular among Israeli nationals.
Key points
- The incident occurred on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
- Passengers and crew foiled a co-pilot's attempt to crash the aircraft.
- Israel plans to tighten checks on pilots flying into the country.
