Israeli Passengers Thwart Co-Pilot's Attempted Hijacking on Dubai Flight

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv carrying approximately 180 passengers, including 25 children, experienced a terrifying mid-air incident on Wednesday. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft plummeted from 30,000 feet to 15,000 feet in just one minute, triggering emergency protocols and an Israeli Air Force scramble. The cause was an attempted hijacking by the co-pilot, an Omani national, who allegedly attacked the Emirati captain with a knife in the cockpit, attempting to crash the plane.

Israeli passengers, hearing screams from the cockpit and feeling the violent descent, rushed the cockpit door. They overpowered and subdued the attacker while the injured captain managed to regain control of the aircraft, stabilizing it at 15,000 feet and preventing a catastrophic crash. Videos circulating showed blood in the cabin and passengers recounting the harrowing ordeal.

The plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where passengers were stranded for hours without communication or updates. One passenger described the anxiety of not knowing if there was even a pilot, and the relief when a fellow passenger bought a SIM card to contact families. "Now we have to sleep here on the floor and wait for the rescue flight," the passenger stated.

Israel has criticized Flydubai for violating security agreements by allegedly using an Omani co-pilot on a flight to Israel, as such flights are supposed to be operated only by pilots from countries with formal relations with Israel. The incident also sparked political debate in Israel, with a close advisor to Prime Minister Netanyahu linking it to the premier's recent security warnings ahead of elections.

Israeli security officials believe the flight was seconds away from a fatal crash, with the combined actions of the injured captain and the heroic passengers averting disaster. A rescue flight was arranged to bring the passengers back to Israel.