A co-pilot stabbed the captain and tried to seize control of a FlyDubai passenger jet bound for Tel Aviv on Wednesday, sending the aircraft into a steep descent before crew members and Israeli passengers subdued him. The plane, carrying more than 100 Israeli passengers, diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed safely.
BREAKING: A flight bound for Israel makes an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a midair cockpit incident triggers fears of a possible hijacking and prompts Israel to scramble fighter jets.
One passenger tells Fox they believe the co-pilot stabbed the captain, who then fell… pic.twitter.com/RT08hQ9ePG
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 30, 2026
Israeli authorities were investigating the attack as suspected terrorism. Early reports identified the attacker as an Omani national, raising questions about whether the airline violated its agreement with Israel, which requires pilots on its flights to Israel to come from countries that have normalized relations with the Jewish state.
A violent altercation and stabbing in the cockpit of a FlyDubai flight over Saudi Arabia this morning caused the 737-8 to plummet 18,400 feet in just under two minutes, exceeding its maximum operating speed by nearly 100 kts.
The aircraft landed safely in Tabuk. pic.twitter.com/POg0WCN1WS
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 30, 2026
Oman has no such relations with Israel. Transportation Minister Miri Regev asked the Shin Bet to halt FlyDubai flights pending confirmation of the suspect’s nationality and a review of the airline’s compliance with that requirement.
Flight FZ1073 was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the attack began. An Israeli passenger told The Jerusalem Post that one pilot stabbed the other and tried to force him from the cockpit as the plane began to dive. Israelis seated near the front rushed forward and fought the attacker while two other pilots traveling in the cabin were urged to take control.
תיעוד מהמטוס שנחת בסעודיה: "השתלטנו על המחבלים. כל מי ששומע אותי – אנחנו צריכים עזרה"https://t.co/qp31UziuJB@NoganNir pic.twitter.com/Od4nR7c4Vq
— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) September 30, 2026
“I shouted at them to run and take control of the plane,” the passenger said. The group forced the attacker out and got the remaining pilots into the cockpit. One immediately took the controls, while the other needed time to recover. An Israeli dentist aboard treated the stabbed pilot and, according to the passenger, “saved his life.”
The aircraft lost about 4,000 meters of altitude during the struggle, an Israeli official said, telling The Jerusalem Post that a “major disaster was narrowly avoided.” Yasmin Abu Kasis, whose daughter Miriam was aboard, said her daughter reported screaming, seeing a man with a knife put a pilot on the floor, and “blood everywhere.”
The plane initially transmitted the general emergency code, then switched to the code for unlawful interference before returning to the general emergency signal. Israel scrambled fighter jets and briefly closed its airspace, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security meeting.
The aircraft landed at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk. Airport authorities said both the captain and first officer were wounded and taken to a hospital. The airline confirmed that all passengers were safe and accounted for.
Investigators were still determining whether the attacker intended to divert the aircraft or crash it. Officials said they had found no evidence so far that a foreign government or terrorist organization directed the attack.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel should “address the intent and not the results.” He added: “Whoever tried to crash a plane and murder 180 Israelis must pay as if he murdered. He and every state or terrorist organization that sent him.”
Flydubai said it would send a replacement aircraft to carry the passengers to Tel Aviv. Israeli defense officials also considered dispatching military or civilian planes, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir canceled a planned trip to the United States.
Netanyahu’s office said: “The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel.”
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