A Flydubai flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia after an apparent cockpit fight, as Israeli officials say it could be a terror attack attempt.
A Flydubai flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia after an apparent cockpit fight, as Israeli officials say it could be a terror attack attempt.
CNN, citing Israeli officials, reported that authorities believe a “violent incident” between two pilots on an Israel-bound Flydubai flight diverted to Saudi Arabia could have been “a terror attack attempt.” The captain and co-pilot were taken to hospital with injuries, Saudi’s leading airport operator said.
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The incident caused the aircraft, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, to plummet 17,400 feet in less than two minutes, flight tracking data shows. One passenger told Israeli media that one of the pilots on the flight was stabbed and there were moments she believed she was going to die.
The incident prompted Israel’s prime minister and defense minister to hold a security consultation. Separately, an official said Israel is exploring the possibility of sending a military or civilian plane to bring passengers home. Prime Minister’s Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a post to X that Netanyahu “held consultations on the matter and is monitoring developments.”
“The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel,” Netanyahu’s office added.
The Flydubai plane – which set off early on Wednesday – signalled an emergency code two hours into the flight, tracking website Flightradar24 said. The flight, which was carrying mostly Israeli passengers, took off at 7:05 a.m. local time from Dubai, according to Agency Reports.
It then switched to a hijacking code but later returned to a general emergency signal – Israeli officials told local media that “a very serious disaster was averted”.
