Asia · updated 15m ago · 2 min read
Netanyahu Orders Security Meeting After Pilot Stabs Co-Pilot on Flydubai FZ1073 to Tel Aviv
Flydubai FZ1073 diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia after cockpit incident and emergency signals. Captain and first officer were injured and hospitalized; passengers safe.
128 outlets told this the same way.
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6 of 8 outlets skipped it: cabin crew and passengers intervened to seize cockpit.
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Pilot stabbing triggers diversion
A Flydubai flight operating as flight FZ1073, flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, diverted and landed in Saudi Arabia after Israeli officials described a hijacking attempt by one of the pilots. An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that one pilot stabbed another and then attempted to take control of the aircraft, and the aircraft descended about 4,000 meters in altitude during the confrontation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security meeting with Defense officials, and Netanyahu’s office said, “The incident is under control and all necessary measures are being deployed to return Israeli passengers to Israel safely.” Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia, also known as Tabuk Airport, and the airline said, “The aircraft landed safely in Tabuk (TUU), and all passengers are safe and accounted for.”
Conflicting accounts of motive
Israeli media accounts described the cockpit incident as a dispute between the pilots rather than a hijacking, with Aajil saying Channel 12 quoted an Israeli official that authorities were examining how to grant the Omani pilot permission to fly to Israel. Aajil also said Israeli media reported that the co-pilot, described as Oman-born, tried to bring down the aircraft and that the Emirati captain managed to regain control with the help of crew members.
ABC News reported that an Israeli security source said Israel was investigating the incident as a potential terror incident, and the outlet quoted the source saying there was a violent altercation on the flight. ABC News also reported that Netanyahu’s office said the incident was under control, and the office stated, “The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel.”
Repatriation and aviation scrutiny
Tabuk Airport said it received a distress call from Flight FZ1073 and declared an emergency at the airport, and it reported that the plane landed safely at 9:45 a.m. local time and that both the captain and the first officer were injured. The incident prompted Israel to scramble fighter jets as a precaution, and ABC News & Headlines said the Israel Defense Forces recommended that a military aircraft be sent to repatriate Israeli passengers from Saudi Arabia.
ABC News & Headlines also reported that Miri Regev demanded the suspension of all Flydubai flights to Israel and requested an investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority into whether the United Arab Emirates violated an agreement with Tel Aviv. Flydubai’s statement emphasized that the flight experienced an “incident while en route,” and Al Jazeera reported the airline said, “experienced an incident while en route,” as the aircraft landed safely at Tabuk and all passengers were safe and accounted for.