Flydubai escapes 'stab in the cockpit'.. safe landing in Tabuk

Capital cities – Agencies: Flydubai revealed that a scuffle occurred inside the cockpit of flight FZ 1073, en route from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport, yesterday. The company’s spokesperson clarified that the Flydubai crew on board managed to regain control of the situation, diverting the aircraft and making a safe landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. All passengers and crew members are safe. See page 12. He added that the airline dispatched two replacement flights to Tabuk, prioritizing the transfer of passengers and the completion of their journeys to Tel Aviv. Flights operated by the carrier across the Flydubai network are proceeding according to their regular schedule. The spokesperson further stated that, at this initial stage, the motives and underlying reasons for the incident remain unknown and are subject to an official investigation. He urged everyone to refrain from premature speculation until authorities have gathered the facts. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that one of the flight’s pilots stabbed the other and attempted to crash the plane. In a televised address, Netanyahu praised the passengers who intervened to subdue the attacker, saving many lives and preventing a major disaster. For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the serious incident aboard the Flydubai flight was an attempt at a jihadist terrorist attack.