Two Off-Duty Pilots Land Flydubai Jet After Hijacking Attempt
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Two off-duty pilots landed a Flydubai jet after an onboard attack.
- Passengers subdued an assailant pilot during the flight.
- The plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- Israeli passengers were later flown to Israel on a replacement flight.
- Israel suspended Flydubai flights pending an investigation.
A Flydubai flight en route to Tel Aviv was safely landed in Saudi Arabia after one pilot allegedly attacked his co-pilot and passengers intervened. The incident occurred approximately 45 minutes before landing, as the plane transitioned from Saudi to Jordanian airspace. During the struggle, the aircraft rapidly lost about 15,000 feet in altitude within a minute. Passengers and crew members managed to subdue the attacking pilot, restrain him, and stabilize the situation.
The plane made an emergency landing at Tabuk Regional Airport in Saudi Arabia. The assailant pilot was taken for questioning, while the injured co-pilot received medical attention. The passengers were provided with necessary assistance and awaited a replacement flight to Israel.
Crucially, the aircraft was landed by two off-duty pilots who were on board, reportedly as part of their training. After the attacking pilot was secured, these two pilots entered the cockpit and successfully brought the plane down in Saudi Arabia. This averted a crisis, as the regular crew was incapacitated.
Israeli passengers spent approximately nine hours in Tabuk before a second Flydubai flight arrived to take them to Israel. Despite initial apprehension due to the earlier incident with the same airline, passengers boarded the replacement flight after the Mossad vetted the new crew. Saudi Arabia did not permit Israeli aircraft to land for evacuation, necessitating the use of another Flydubai plane.
Following the incident, Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced a six-day suspension of Flydubai flights. The airline itself has also suspended operations pending an investigation. El Al and Arkia have expressed readiness to operate flights to Dubai, anticipating that security concerns for the route will be addressed.
Read the original at CursorinfoMentioned
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