Heroic Israelis Subdue Co-Pilot on Dubai Flight, Return Home Safely

A Flydubai flight carrying Israeli passengers landed in Israel on Wednesday evening after a harrowing ordeal in Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Yaniv Hayun, one of the Israelis who neutralized the co-pilot attempting to crash the plane. "I am watching you and I see a great hero," Netanyahu told Hayun.

Hayun recounted the dramatic moments in the cockpit, explaining how he subdued the assailant, restrained him, and pulled him out. He then called for assistance from other Israelis on board, re-entered the cockpit, and took control of the aircraft's controls. "I saw the series 'Air Crash Investigation.' The plane began to stabilize, and then the first officer told me he was taking control," Hayun said.

The flight's departure from Saudi Arabia was delayed until the Mossad could individually vet all Emirati crew members to prevent further security incidents. Upon entering Israeli airspace, the Ben Gurion Airport control tower welcomed the flight, saying, "Good evening Sky Dubai 1073, welcome to Israel. Thank you for bringing our passengers home safely."

Passengers described the intense fear during the incident, which lasted only a few minutes but felt like an eternity. One passenger recalled the plane dropping sharply and praying for the ordeal to end. Another passenger, Daniel, reported hearing a loud noise and realizing one pilot had stabbed the other with a knife, seeing blood on the floor. He credited the three Israelis who intervened with subduing and tying up the pilot using headphones.

Passengers also described the peak of their anxiety during the plane's dive, with cries of "Shema Yisrael" heard. Daniel added that as two other pilots worked to stabilize the controls, the fear intensified, with one passenger comparing the experience to the 9/11 attacks. Looking out the window at the desert, one passenger feared they were being taken to Iran. Relief came when the cockpit door closed and the first officer announced they would be landing, making the reality of what they had endured clear.