Flydubai Pilot Arrested After Allegedly Trying to Crash Israel-Bound Plane

A Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent incident in the cockpit in which a co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to take control of the aircraft.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot apparently tried to crash the aircraft, which was carrying mostly Israeli passengers, before passengers and crew intervened and helped prevent what he described as a major disaster. Saudi authorities subsequently arrested the suspected attacker, according to Netanyahu.

The aircraft, Flydubai Flight FZ1073, was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv when the incident occurred.

The Boeing 737 MAX suddenly lost thousands of feet in altitude before the crew diverted the aircraft to Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft falling from roughly 34,000 feet to below 17,000 feet within about a minute during the crisis.

Flydubai confirmed that an “altercation occurred in the flight deck” and said the aircraft was secured by its on-duty crew, who diverted it to Tabuk and landed safely.

The airline said all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for and that it was working with the relevant authorities. It also stressed that the reasons and motives behind the incident remained subject to a formal investigation.

According to Reuters, Netanyahu said the co-pilot stabbed the main pilot and then attempted to crash the aircraft. Passengers reportedly forced their way into the cockpit and restrained the co-pilot while other pilots aboard the aircraft helped stabilise and land the plane.

The dramatic intervention followed a rapid descent that initially raised fears of a possible hijacking. The aircraft transmitted an emergency signal and later a code indicating unlawful interference, prompting Israeli authorities to scramble fighter jets as the situation unfolded.

The Times of Israel reported that the aircraft carried around 180 people, including approximately 150 Israelis. The report said both pilots were injured and taken for medical treatment after the plane landed in Tabuk.

Images published by Israeli media appeared to show passengers disembarking from the aircraft in Tabuk, while photographs also showed damage around the aircraft’s rudder. A passenger was reportedly photographed with blood on his clothing following the cockpit confrontation.

The nationality of the suspected attacker has been reported as Omani by several outlets, while the captain was reported to be Emirati. Some early reports contained conflicting information about the pilots’ nationalities, and the circumstances remain subject to investigation.

Israeli authorities have treated the incident as a possible attempted terrorist attack. Defence Minister Israel Katz described it as an attempted jihadist attack, while Israeli officials initially said they were still investigating whether terrorism was the motive.

That distinction remains important because Flydubai has not publicly established a motive. The airline has called for the investigation to determine what happened and urged against premature speculation.

After the emergency landing, Saudi airport authorities said the captain and first officer were receiving medical treatment while passengers were assisted at the terminal. The aircraft landed at Tabuk at about 9:45 a.m. local time after the airport received a distress call.

The incident also created an unusual diplomatic situation. Saudi Arabia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, yet the kingdom became the emergency destination for a commercial aircraft carrying mostly Israeli passengers.

Reuters later reported that Saudi Arabia rejected an Israeli request to send military aircraft to retrieve the passengers. Flydubai subsequently arranged replacement aircraft to transport the stranded passengers and crew.

The episode comes amid heightened security concerns in Israel and renewed scrutiny of aviation security on routes connecting Israel with the Gulf.

For now, investigators in Saudi Arabia and the region are examining the cockpit confrontation, the injuries to the pilots, the aircraft’s sudden loss of altitude and the circumstances surrounding the alleged attempt to take control of the flight.

What is established is that FZ1073 did not crash. The aircraft was safely diverted to Saudi Arabia after the cockpit incident, and passengers and crew survived the emergency.

The investigation will determine what prompted the confrontation and whether the incident was an attempted terrorist attack, an intentional attempt to bring down the aircraft or another form of criminal or personal acts.