Photo: JACK GUEZ / AFP / Getty Images
The alleged hijacker of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv is believed to have tried to crash the plane and target Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, according to Israeli officials and passenger accounts. The incident unfolded as Flydubai flight FZ1073, carrying mostly Israeli passengers, transmitted emergency signals and made a rapid descent before making a safe landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, (September 30).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message that one of the pilots tried to kill the other and crash the aircraft, describing it as an attempted terror attack. Passengers described a violent struggle in the cockpit after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the pilot and tried to take control. The plane lost nearly 17,000 feet of altitude in just over a minute, suggesting a dramatic effort to regain control of the aircraft.
Israel’s Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the incident a terrorist attack aimed at killing Israelis.
Flight tracking sites showed the Boeing 737 initially sent a general emergency code, followed by a hijacking alert. The Israeli military scrambled fighter jets, and emergency consultations were held by the prime minister and defense minister.
After the safe landing in Saudi Arabia, all passengers were reported unharmed, though both pilots sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. The alleged attacker, believed to be the co-pilot, is under interrogation by Saudi authorities. The incident comes less than a month before Israel’s national elections. Prime Minister Netanyahu has instructed security services to prepare for additional potential threats ahead of the vote.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the full motive and circumstances behind the attempted attack.