A FlyDubai pilot has been arrested after a mid-air incident on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, during which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one of the pilots "stabbed the other pilot and apparently tried to crash the plane."
The incident occurred at 3.05am (7.05am local time) on FlyDubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai International Airport to Tel Aviv, Israel. The flight issued an emergency hijacking code this morning.
Passengers rush cockpit as plane descends
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described it as an "attempted jihadist terror attack." The accused pilot is thought to be from Oman, with the colleague who was stabbed from the UAE, reports the Mirror.
Passengers rushed the cockpit while two more pilots, on board as they were scheduled for a subsequent flight from Tel Aviv, apparently helped and landed the plane. One of those pilots is thought to be British.
Israeli fighter jets were scrambled after the code 7500 alert was issued - indicating a potential hijacking. The plane had roughly 150 people on board.
Plane diverted to Saudi Arabia
The plane descended rapidly, dropping 17,000ft as an Israeli passenger on the flight told The Jerusalem Post "there were terrible screams from children who didn’t want to die."
The plane eventually headed to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, and flights at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv were suspended. Netanyahu and Katz held an urgent security consultation following the incident.
FlyDubai confirms safety of passengers and crew
Flydubai has issued a statement, which reads: "The aircraft was successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport (TUU). All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for."
The airline added that two replacement aircraft have been sent to Tabuk to "relieve" the passengers and crew involved. The incident has "no impact" on other scheduled flydubai services, the airline added.
Flydubai stated: "At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation. We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts."
"Our immediate priority is to ensure the ongoing safety, health, and wellbeing of all passengers and crew members involved in this incident and support the official investigation."
