Flydubai Pilot Accused of Attempted Terror Attack on Flight to Tel Aviv

Israeli authorities are investigating an incident aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv as a potential terror attack, with suspicions that one of the pilots may have attempted to hijack the aircraft and crash it with its 189 passengers, approximately 100 of whom were Israeli. The plane issued a distress signal and experienced a rapid descent, losing nearly 14,000 feet in altitude in about a minute, according to Flightradar24 data. Initial reports were conflicting, suggesting technical failure, a medical emergency, or an in-cabin conflict.

Following an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, passenger accounts emerged. One passenger, Miriam, described hearing screams and seeing blood in the cockpit after it was opened, stating that the pilot had been attacked with a folding knife. She recounted that Israelis and crew members subdued the attacker, and that there were moments of fear for their lives. Israeli sources report that the co-pilot inflicted multiple stab wounds on the captain, and that crew and passengers intervened to overpower the assailant.

Crucially, an additional Flydubai crew, traveling as passengers, were on board and reportedly took control of the aircraft after the attack, stabilizing the plane. A senior Israeli official described this as "enormous luck," preventing an event akin to September 11, 2001. The suspected co-pilot is being interrogated, and Israeli sources indicate growing evidence points to his intention to seize control and crash the plane. Official investigation results are pending.

Israeli sources are also exploring a possible Iranian connection, though no public evidence has been presented to support this claim. The incident occurs amid heightened Israeli military readiness. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir canceled a planned visit to the U.S. to meet with military leaders, a decision reportedly made before Prime Minister Netanyahu's recent warning about potential attacks by adversaries before elections. The Flydubai flight ultimately landed safely in Saudi Arabia, averting disaster.