Israeli Passengers Thwart Hijacking Attempt on Flydubai Flight

An emergency landing was made in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for a Flydubai flight en route to Tel Aviv after a hijacking attempt was initiated during the flight. Several Israeli passengers intervened to subdue the attacker and assist the injured pilot.

According to passenger testimonies, the incident began when a "hijacking code" was activated, causing the plane to lose altitude. Passengers, including Yవ్వב חיון, צביקה מנס, אסף רג'ואן, and Dr. שוטה מוסייב, rushed to the cockpit. חיון described confronting the attacker inside the cockpit, attempting to sabotage the aircraft's instruments, and managing to restrain him.

חיון recounted how he initially struggled to open the cockpit door, with another passenger's help, before entering and seeing the attacker. He stated he "grabbed the perpetrator, put him in a chokehold, and pulled him out." He also described re-entering the cockpit during the plane's dive and attempting to stabilize it by manipulating the controls, drawing on knowledge from aviation disaster documentaries.

צביקה מנס, who was returning from a vacation in Japan, explained that his wife heard shouting near the cockpit and alerted the crew. He described a physical struggle as the plane lost altitude, with passengers eventually using headphone cords to tie up the attacker. "We lost angles, he really tried to steer towards the ground and people were flying and screaming," מנס said. He noted that the attacker was strong and likely fueled by adrenaline.

Following the attacker's neutralization, a doctor and nurse on board provided medical attention to the pilot, who had sustained injuries and was bleeding. Dr. מוסייב, a dentist, stated he ran to the cockpit without hesitation and, after the attacker was secured, focused on stopping the pilot's bleeding, emphasizing that in such moments, "you don't think, you just do."

אסף רג'ואן, who also entered the cockpit during the struggle and sustained minor injuries, described the event as "shaking" and "like in the movies." He expressed relief that the passengers acted decisively, stating, "We showed initiative together. We decided it was do or die, and I'm glad we went for it."