Israeli Passengers Subdue Pilot-Terrorist on Flydubai Flight to Tel Aviv

An Israeli passenger, Tzvika Manes, recounted how he and two others subdued a pilot who attacked the co-pilot on a Flydubai flight en route to Tel Aviv. Manes, who was accompanying his daughter to the restroom, heard commotion from the cockpit and urged a reserve pilot to investigate. Upon entering, the reserve pilot found the captain injured and bleeding. Manes, the reserve pilot, and another passenger then tackled and restrained the assailant using headphone cords from the in-flight entertainment system. The incident occurred about 90 minutes after departure from Dubai when the Omani pilot allegedly attacked the captain, identified by international media as Indian, with a knife. The captain resisted but sustained serious injuries, leading to a sharp descent of the aircraft. The plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with damage to its tail section due to the rapid descent. Israeli commentators noted the Omani pilot had only recently joined Flydubai, speculating about potential recruitment by Iranian intelligence or jihadists for a terrorist attack. Flydubai described the event as an "unforeseen situation" and a "dispute" in the cockpit, while Israeli authorities are treating it as a hijacking attempt and terrorist act. The Shin Bet, Mossad, IDF, and Ministry of Transport have launched a joint investigation, also examining why an Omani national, from a country with no diplomatic ties to Israel, was part of the crew on a flight carrying Israelis. The motive remains undetermined.