Israel-bound flight makes emergency landing after ‘pilots started fighting in cockpit’
An Israel-bound flight from the UAE was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a pilot allegedly attacked his co-pilot. Israeli officials are investigating the incident as a potential terror attack, noting the attacker was an Omani national.
Why it matters
The incident involves high-stakes international security concerns and potential diplomatic implications between Israel, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
One of the pilots of an aircraft flying from the United Arab Emirates to Israel stabbed his co-pilot and appeared to try to crash the aircraft, the Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, as Israeli officials said they were investigating if the incident was an attempted terror attack on Israelis.
The aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the apparent attack, with the two pilots wounded but other passengers safe, according to a statement by Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz international airport, more commonly known as Tabuk airport.
The pilot accused of carrying out the attack was being questioned by Saudi authorities, Netanyahu said. Israel’s transport ministry said it would carry out a joint investigation with the defence establishment.
It was not immediately clear what motivated the attack, which threatened the lives of the about 170 passengers on board.
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