Israel-bound flight diverted to Saudi Arabia after brawl between pilots, Israeli official says
An Israel-bound flydubai flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the pilot and attempted to crash the aircraft. Passengers and crew intervened to subdue the attacker, and all passengers were safely transferred to a replacement flight.
Why it matters
The incident represents a significant aviation security failure and a rare instance of international cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia during a crisis.
Aircraft data appeared to show the plane had suddenly and rapidly descended by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before emergency signals were transmitted.
A FlyDubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane at Dubai Airport (DXB) in the United Arab Emirates on Feb 17, 2024. (File photo: iStock/Boarding1Now)
JERUSALEM: The co-pilot of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv tried to crash the plane after stabbing the pilot, but passengers subdued him while other pilots landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia, Israeli o fficials said on Wednesday (Sep 30) .
Describing the event as "a highly severe security incident", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saudi authorities would interrogate the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 from the United Arab Emirates to Israel , which had more than 170 Israelis on board .
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