A Flydubai co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to bring down a passenger jet bound for Tel Aviv, forcing an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, Israeli officials said.
Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Israel on Wednesday when the incident unfolded over the region. The aircraft, carrying about 170 passengers, diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia after passengers and crew members overpowered the suspect.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one of the pilots had attacked the other before apparently attempting to crash the Boeing 737. He said those who intervened had prevented a “major disaster”.
The aircraft reportedly plunged about 17,000ft in two minutes while flying over Jordanian airspace. It transmitted emergency signals, including one indicating possible unlawful interference, prompting Israel to scramble fighter jets amid fears that the plane had been hijacked.
Flydubai said an “altercation occurred in the flight deck” and that the crew secured the aircraft before diverting it safely to Tabuk. The airline said the motive remained unknown and would be examined as part of a formal investigation.
Passengers flown on after cockpit incident
Saudi airport operator Cluster2 said both the captain and first officer were taken to hospital with injuries. The operator said relevant authorities were investigating, while Israeli officials said the suspected attacker was an Omani national and had been arrested by Saudi authorities.
All passengers were reported safe and were later flown on to Israel. No passenger injuries were reported.
A passenger described scenes of panic during the incident, saying people were screaming, overhead lockers had opened and the power had gone out. The passenger said those on board believed they were going to die.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the incident as an attempted jihadist terrorist attack. Other officials have said they are investigating whether the episode was a deliberate attempt to attack Israelis, but no motive has been established.
Questions remain over how the cockpit was breached, as flight-deck doors are designed to remain locked during flight and reinforced against forced entry. The investigation is continuing in Saudi Arabia, with the circumstances of the attack and the suspect’s intentions yet to be established.
