Pilot ‘stabbed co-pilot in attempted hijacking’ on Israel-bound plane before passengers overpower him

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A pilot on a flight from Dubai to Israel allegedly stabbed his co-pilot in an attempted hijacking with passengers describing the terrifying midair ordeal.

Israeli fighter jets were scrambled after Flydubai Flight FZ1073 dramatically descended nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds as it veered off course on Wednesday morning, FlightRadar data shows.

Officials in Israel currently believe the plane’s co-pilot stabbed the captain before cabin crew entered the cockpit and took control of the plane, in what is believed to be an attempted “terrorist attack”.

A witness told the Jerusalem Post that passengers near the front of the plane had forced the attacker out of the cockpit, before two other pilots who were onboard helped land the flight.

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Yasmin Abu Kasis, whose ⁠daughter Miriam was on the flight, said that her daughter had told her that she had heard screaming and that a man took a knife, put the pilot on the floor, and that there was blood everywhere. Pictures shared on social media showed passengers with clothes covered in blood.

“Someone shouted ‘stabbing’ and my husband immediately understood what was happening and rushed to the front of the plane, and along with other Israelis they neutralized the terrorist,” says Meital, a passenger whose husband was involved in the onboard brawl.

“There were stabbings and a lot of blood. We’re very emotional and under terrible stress, it’s very difficult for me to talk,” she adds.

“We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane,” said another passenger with blood on his face, in a video published on social media by Channel 13.

“At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists, we’re approaching landing. Whoever is hearing me, we need help,” he added, according to a translation by The Times of Israel.

“We’re landing in Tabuk, apparently in Saudi Arabia. An unknown, unfamiliar area. On the plane, everybody is safe and sound, other than the pilot. We need help.”

An Israeli official said a “major disaster was narrowly avoided”, according to the JP, which reported that the Israeli security agencies including the IDF, Mossad and Shin Bet believe the incident may have been intended as an act of terror.

A second flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, flight FZ1081, has also now diverted and is heading back to Dubai, according to FlightRadar. It is unclear whether this was precautionary or the result of another incident.

Flightradar said an emergency call from the first flight was made declaring an “unlawful interference” at 05:38 UTC (6:38 BST).

The Boeing 737 ⁠plane then again transmitted the general emergency signal ​before ⁠landing at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, the website said.

The co-pilot is currently being questioned with “indications are mounting that he intended to take control of the plane and crash it with the passengers on board”, a senior official told N12 News correspondent Amit Segal.

Ms Kasis said the pilot was calling for help as the plane started to lose control. “The plane start to lose control. So all the people, they scream, they think they are going,” she told the Associated Press.

Tabuk Airport said both the pilot and the co-pilot were hospitalised after the plane landed, adding that it was coordinating with Flydubai to secure a replacement aircraft for the around 180 Israelis reported to have been on the flight.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was briefed over the incident, which his office earlier said in a statement was “under control,” adding that all efforts were being made to bring ‌the Israeli passengers back to Israel.

The office earlier said that the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking, although reports in Israeli media suggest security officials now believe otherwise.

An airline spokesperson said the flydubai ​flight ⁠experienced an “incident” en route to Tel ‌Aviv and diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely. All passengers were safe and accounted for, the spokesperson said, without providing any further details. The UAE is yet to comment on the incident.

An Israeli ‌official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said ‌the pilots had transmitted the emergency signals after getting into a physical altercation with each other. It was not immediately clear if either pilot had intentionally transmitted the signal.

Netanyahu, who earlier held security consultations on the incident, has cleared his schedule for the rest of the day to manage the crisis, an Israeli official said.

The prime minister on Sunday met with UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a a rare visit to the Gulf country. Israel and the UAE have forged close security, military and economic ties since establishing diplomatic ties in 2020.

Earlier this year, Israel provided the UAE with Iron Dome air-defence systems and Israeli personnel to operate them, helping defend against Iranian attacks launched in retaliation for Israeli and US strikes on Iran.

It is not the first time a flight ⁠between Israel and the UAE has landed in Saudi Arabia. A flydubai flight from Dubai to ‌Tel Aviv made an emergency ​landing in Riyadh in September 2025 ‌due to a medical emergency, Israeli media ​reported at the time.

Flydubai operates daily flights between Dubai and ‌Tel Aviv, a route that is popular ⁠among Israeli nationals. The Independent has contacted the airline for comment.

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