Israeli Officers Say Diverted Flydubai Incident Could Be Tried ‘Terror Assault’
JERUSALEM, Sept 30 (Reuters) – The co-pilot of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv is believed to have stabbed the captain in a doable tried “terror assault” on Wednesday, forcing the airplane to divert to Saudi Arabia the place it landed safely, three Israeli officers mentioned.
They mentioned the cabin crew entered the cockpit and took management of flydubai flight FZ1073 from the United Arab Emirates to Israel, which diverted to Saudi Arabia because it flew over Jordanian airspace. One of the officers recognized the attacker as an Omani nationwide.
An Israeli official had earlier instructed Reuters the airplane transmitted emergency indicators after the pilots obtained right into a bodily altercation with one another.
The plane’s knowledge appeared to indicate that it had all of a sudden and quickly descended by practically 14,000 toes in lower than 30 seconds earlier than a primary emergency sign was despatched, in accordance with flight-tracking web site Flightradar24.
Around the time the airplane landed in Saudi Arabia, Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s workplace, instructed Reuters the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking, describing it as a “totally different incident”.
He didn’t instantly reply to an extra request for touch upon whether or not Israel was treating it as a “terror incident”.
The Israeli officers, talking on the situation of anonymity to transient reporters, mentioned Israel‘s present evaluation is that the incident was an tried “terror assault” and never associated to any sort of psychological well being challenge with both of the pilots.
Omani authorities and the workplace of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
Both Pilots Were Hospitalized, Tabuk Airport Says
In a video purportedly of an Israeli passenger on board the flydubai flight and carried broadly by Israeli media, the passenger mentioned one in all pilots was critically injured and the opposite was barely injured, after one of many pilots was stabbed.
Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk airport, the place the airplane landed, mentioned that each pilots had been hospitalised after sustaining accidents. Neither the airport nor the purported Israeli passenger recognized the attacker.
The flight transmitted a normal emergency sign after which one other emergency sign that indicated doable illegal interference, in accordance with Flightradar24.
The Boeing 737 airplane, which Israeli media mentioned had round 150 Israeli passengers on board, then once more transmitted the preliminary normal emergency sign earlier than later touchdown at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, the web site mentioned.
Karl Dittlbacher by way of REUTERS
It was not instantly clear who transmitted the emergency indicators.
The incident heightened safety fears in Israel weeks earlier than Israelis vote within the first election for the reason that Hamas-led October 7, 2023 assaults, with Israel‘s safety figuring prominently within the campaigning.
Responding to the incident on X, far-right safety minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote “terrorism is a satan with whom no settlement have to be reached”.
Conflicting Reports Appear In Media, Israel Holds Security Consultations
Israeli media printed conflicting reviews on the incident, with some shops reporting {that a} pilot had tried to crash the passenger airplane in an alleged suicide try. Some Israeli media shops recognized the pilots as Omani and Emirati nationals, whereas others mentioned they have been Russian and Ukrainian.
The incident triggered nationwide safety consultations in Israel, which has no official diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, the place the airplane landed.
In an earlier assertion, the Israeli prime minister’s workplace mentioned the scenario was “beneath management” and that every one measures have been being taken to carry the Israeli passengers again to Israel.
Netanyahu who had held safety consultations on the incident, has cleared his schedule for the remainder of the day to handle the disaster, an Israeli official mentioned.
Netanyahu on Sunday met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan throughout a a uncommon go to to the Gulf nation. Israel and the UAE have cast shut safety, army and financial ties since establishing diplomatic ties in 2020.
Earlier this yr, Israel supplied the UAE with Iron Dome air-defence techniques and Israeli personnel to function them, serving to defend towards Iranian assaults launched after Israel and the United States started strikes on Iran.
The UAE has but to touch upon the incident, whereas the Dubai-owned airline has solely mentioned that the flight skilled an “incident” and diverted to Tabuk, the place it landed safely, and that every one passengers have been secure and accounted for.
Passenger Reportedly Witnesses Pilot Forced To Floor By Man Holding Knife
Yasmin Abukasis mentioned her daughter Miriam, who was among the many passengers on the flight, had instructed her that she had heard screaming and {that a} man holding a knife had pressured one of many pilots onto the ground, and that there was blood all over the place.
Israeli media printed a photograph purportedly taken from contained in the airplane, which appeared to indicate a passenger’s blood-soaked shirt. Reuters couldn’t instantly confirm the picture.
Flydubai operates every day return flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a route that’s common amongst Israeli nationals. The flight path usually makes use of airspace over Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
It will not be the primary time a flight between Israel and the UAE has landed in Saudi Arabia. A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency touchdown in Riyadh in September 2025 as a consequence of a medical incident, Israeli media reported on the time.
(Reporting by Rami Ayyub, Alexander Cornwell, Rami Amichay, Federico Maccioni, Lina Obeid; Writing by Alexander Cornwell and Tom Perry; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Philippa Fletcher)
