Key facts
- A FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Israel was diverted to Saudi Arabia.
- One pilot allegedly stabbed his co-pilot and attempted to crash the plane.
- Passengers and crew members reportedly "neutralised" the attacking pilot.
- The plane descended about 16,000 feet in two minutes.
- Israeli officials are investigating the incident as a potential terror attack.
- The alleged attacker is an Omani national.
A FlyDubai commercial flight traveling from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Israel was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after one of the pilots allegedly stabbed his co-pilot and attempted to crash the aircraft. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the pilot "appeared to be intending to crash the plane." He added that passengers and crew members intervened to "neutralise" the attacker.
The incident occurred over Jordan when the plane, identified as a Boeing 737, transmitted three emergency signals, one indicating possible unlawful interference. During the reported altercation, the aircraft descended approximately 16,000 feet in just two minutes, prompting Israeli fighter jets to scramble due to fears of a hijacking. The plane landed at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Israeli officials are investigating the event as a potential terror attack targeting Israelis. Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed this sentiment, calling it an attempted terrorist act. Netanyahu commended the passengers and crew for their "exceptional resourcefulness and courage."
An Israeli official told Reuters that the alleged attacker is an Omani national. According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the plane had between 160 and 180 passengers onboard. A passenger, Miryam Shira Ohayon, described the situation as the plane being "pretty much out of control."