UPDATE: Attempted hijacking of Israel-bound Flydubai flight – What happened on board

1. Netanyahu Says Pilot Apparently Tried To Crash Israel-Bound Flydubai Plane

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one of the pilots aboard an Israel-bound Flydubai flight stabbed the other pilot and apparently tried to crash the aircraft during a dramatic mid-air incident on Wednesday.

According to CNN’s live coverage, Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when violence erupted in the cockpit, forcing the aircraft to divert to Saudi Arabia.

“During the flight as they approached the country one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot,” Netanyahu said. “Apparently he tried to crash the plane with its occupants.”

Flight-tracking data showed the jet plunged 17,400 feet in just over two minutes.

2. Flydubai Crew Member Takes Control, Diverts Plane To Saudi Arabia

A Flydubai crew member managed to take control of the aircraft and divert it to Saudi Arabia after the violent confrontation in the cockpit, the airline said.

A Flydubai spokesperson told CNN that on-duty crew members travelling aboard the flight helped secure the aircraft before it landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

The airline said all passengers were accounted for and replacement aircraft had been dispatched to Tabuk. Flydubai also launched a formal investigation into the incident, stressing that investigators had not yet established the underlying motive.

Both pilots were later reported to have been taken to hospital for treatment.

3. Questions Remain Over Suspected Attempted Hijacking

Israeli officials believe the co-pilot may have attempted to hijack the aircraft after stabbing the captain, although major questions remain about what he intended to do with the plane.

Two Israeli sources told CNN investigators had not determined whether the alleged objective was to crash the aircraft or seize control and take passengers hostage.

The Boeing 737 was carrying more than 160 passengers when the incident unfolded over the region.

CNN reported that Israeli officials initially considered several possibilities, including terrorism, while Flydubai urged against speculation until investigators establish exactly what happened in the cockpit and why.

4. US Ambassador Says Israeli Passengers Helped Subdue Co-Pilot

United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Israeli passengers aboard the aircraft helped overpower the co-pilot after the cockpit emergency began.

Huckabee, responding to the incident in comments reported by CNN, said those aboard had helped prevent what could have developed into a far more serious disaster.

CNN correspondent Jeremy Diamond reported that passengers apparently managed to enter the cockpit and restrain the suspected attacker while others helped bring the aircraft back under control.

The intervention came as the jet rapidly lost altitude, falling from about 34,000 feet to roughly 16,600 feet before stabilising and eventually heading towards Tabuk.

5. Passengers Describe Bloody And Chaotic Scenes Aboard Flight

Passengers described scenes of panic and blood aboard the aircraft after the cockpit confrontation, with several saying they helped restrain the suspected attacker.

Videos described by CNN showed passengers appealing for assistance after the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia.

One passenger said several people rushed into action after discovering that a pilot had been attacked, while another described the injured pilot as seriously wounded.

Passengers said the suspected attacker was eventually restrained and tied up. Images circulating after the landing appeared to show blood on passengers’ clothing and inside the aircraft.

CNN said some footage circulating online had not initially been independently verified.

6. Saudi Arabia Rejects Israeli Request To Collect Stranded Passengers

Saudi Arabia refused a request to allow an Israeli aircraft to enter the kingdom and collect passengers stranded after the Flydubai plane diverted to Tabuk, an Israeli official told CNN.

Israel had been considering sending either a military or civilian aircraft to retrieve those aboard Flight FZ1073, according to CNN’s reporting.

The situation presented unusual diplomatic complications because Saudi Arabia and Israel do not maintain formal diplomatic relations.

Saudi authorities instead coordinated arrangements for a replacement aircraft to carry passengers onward. Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to Israeli and Israel-bound aircraft in 2022, but formal diplomatic ties between the two countries have not been established.

7. Israeli Sources Say Co-Pilot Suspected Of Trying To Hijack Aircraft

Two Israeli sources told CNN that authorities suspect the Flydubai co-pilot stabbed the captain as part of an attempt to seize control of the aircraft.

The sources told CNN that investigators were examining whether the alleged attacker intended to deliberately crash the aircraft or land somewhere and take hostages.

Israeli officials stressed that the investigation was at an early stage and that the motive remained uncertain.

The captain and co-pilot were both injured during the confrontation and taken to hospital after the emergency landing. Israeli fighter jets had also been scrambled after the aircraft transmitted an emergency signal during the crisis.

8. Images Show Passenger In Blood-Stained Clothing After Mid-Air Drama

Photographs circulating following the incident showed a Flydubai passenger wearing a blood-stained T-shirt and jeans after the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia.

The images, described by CNN, showed the unidentified passenger both seated and standing inside the aircraft. He did not appear to have suffered serious injuries despite the large amount of blood visible on his clothes.

Several passengers told Israeli media that people aboard the flight rushed to help after the pilot was attacked.

The photographs added to accounts of the chaotic confrontation inside the aircraft as passengers and crew worked to restrain the alleged attacker and regain control of the flight.

9. Israel Investigates How Omani Co-Pilot Was Cleared For Tel Aviv Flight

Israeli security agencies are investigating how an Omani national identified by officials as the Flydubai co-pilot was cleared to operate a flight bound for Tel Aviv.

An Israeli official told CNN that the Shin Bet security service, Mossad, Israeli military and transportation ministry were involved in reviewing the incident.

Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations, raising questions about the procedures under which the pilot was approved for the route.

Officials have identified the Omani national as the co-pilot suspected of carrying out the attack, although authorities have not publicly established his motive or disclosed further identifying information while investigations continue.

10. Passenger’s Mother Says Pilot Screamed For Help During Attack

The mother of a passenger aboard Flight FZ1073 said her daughter described terrifying moments when the aircraft appeared to lose control after a pilot was stabbed.

Yasmin Abukasi told Reuters, in an account carried by CNN’s live coverage, that passengers heard cries for help before several people intervened.

Her daughter, Miriam, said passengers feared the aircraft was going to crash as it descended rapidly before other crew members regained control.

Flight data reviewed by CNN showed the aircraft dropping 17,400 feet in a little over two minutes. Abukasi said passengers remained in shock after ultimately landing safely in Saudi Arabia.

11. Passengers Cheer As Flydubai Plane Lands Safely In Saudi Arabia

Passengers erupted in applause and cheers when the diverted Flydubai aircraft finally touched down safely at Tabuk Airport following the mid-air emergency.

Video reported by CNN showed people clapping and celebrating inside the cabin after the aircraft reached the ground.

Saudi aviation operator Cluster2 said Tabuk airport received a request for an emergency landing before declaring a state of emergency.

The aircraft landed safely shortly afterward, and passengers were attended to inside the terminal.

Both the captain and co-pilot were transported to hospital with injuries, while authorities began coordinating arrangements for another aircraft to take the passengers to their intended destination.

12. Flydubai Faces Investigation After Rare Mid-Air Security Crisis

The incident has placed renewed attention on Flydubai, the Dubai government-owned carrier that operates an extensive international network from Dubai International Airport.

According to CNN, Flydubai was established in 2008 through the Dubai Aviation Corporation and serves more than 130 destinations across the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Its fleet consists mainly of Boeing 737 aircraft. The airline has generally maintained a strong safety record, although 62 passengers and crew died when Flydubai Flight 981 crashed during an attempted landing in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, in March 2016.

Wednesday’s incident is now the subject of investigations involving the airline and authorities in several countries, with officials seeking to determine the precise motive behind one of the most dramatic aviation emergencies on the Dubai-Tel Aviv route.