Emirates flight witnesses 'stabbing altercation' between pilots
Washington-Dubai Agencies: A Flydubai flight landed yesterday at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia following an “incident” on board, the details of which were not clarified, while Israeli media reports provided conflicting information about it. A Flydubai spokesperson announced yesterday that “Flight FZ1073,” bound from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport, “experienced an incident during the flight,” without specifying its nature, noting that the aircraft “landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, and all passengers are fine.”
Israeli media reported a confrontation between the pilot and his co-pilot that triggered a distress signal, raising fears of a hijacking. Channel 12 of Israel reported that an investigation was underway to determine whether the pilot had attempted to crash the plane as a suicide attack, with the co-pilot intervening. However, these claims could not be verified.
Passenger Miriam Shira Ohayon stated that the plane was “almost out of control” when a stabbing incident occurred over Jordan during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. In statements to journalists via a loudspeaker on her mother’s phone, as her mother waited for her at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, she explained that “the co-pilot tried to kill the pilot and carry out a suicide attack with the plane.”
At Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, located more than 100 kilometers from the Jordanian border, an AFP correspondent reported a heavy security presence around the airport. Teams from Saudi Arabia’s Mental Health Enhancement Center and the Red Crescent provided care for passengers inside the terminal while they awaited boarding on another aircraft to continue their journey to their final destination, according to the same source.
The activation of the distress signal heightened tensions amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. Israeli fighter jets were scrambled toward the Flydubai flight after the Israeli military initially suspected a hijacking, a scenario that was quickly dismissed by Israeli Channels 12 and Kan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held calls with several of his ministers during the incident and “continues to monitor the situation,” according to a government statement.
Two Israeli officials stated that information gathered by Israeli authorities suggested the incident “may have been an attempt at a terrorist attack.” Israeli media also reported that two other pilots were among the passengers and took control of the aircraft to execute the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
According to flight tracking data from Flightradar24, the plane suddenly lost altitude during the flight, dropping from approximately 34,000 feet to less than 17,000 feet within two minutes.
The incident occurs amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, following the war that erupted in late February with US and Israeli strikes on Iran. It also comes just before Israel’s general elections scheduled for late October. On Tuesday, Netanyahu said there were “indications” that Israel’s enemies might attempt attacks ahead of the elections, while the opposition leader accused him of “stoking fear.”
