30.9.2026
A Flydubai aircraft travelling from the United Arab Emirate to Israeli was forced to land in Saudi Arabia after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain in a possible attempted “terror attack” on Wednesday.
According to Israeli officials the cabin crew entered the cockpit and took control of flydubai flight FZ1073 which diverted to Saudi Arabia as it flew over Jordanian airspace. One of the officials identified the attacker as an Omani national. The Boeing 737 plane had around 150 Israeli passengers on board.
The aircraft’s data appeared to show that it had suddenly and rapidly descended by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before a first emergency signal was sent, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.
Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk airport, where the plane landed, said that both pilots had been hospitalised after sustaining injuries. Neither the airport nor the purported Israeli passenger identified the attacker.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement: “One of the pilots stabbed the other and apparently attempted to crash the plane, with everyone on board.
“Somehow, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and together they subdued the pilot who had committed the stabbing while he was attempting to sabotage the aircraft’s systems” and that “another flight crew member entered the cockpit and managed to stabilize the plane.” Agency reports
Flydubai aircraft being evacuated.