On Wednesday, passengers aboard a FlyDubai flight safely arrived in Israel after collaborating with the crew to thwart a co-pilot’s attempt to crash the plane, according to Israeli officials. The incident began when the co-pilot stabbed the pilot, causing the aircraft to plummet nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds.
Passengers and crew managed to enter the cockpit, overpower the co-pilot, and allowed a second pair of FlyDubai pilots, who were on board, to safely land the aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, as reported by Israeli authorities.
More than ten hours later, the passengers reached Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport on a replacement aircraft, with many describing the event as miraculous and recounting a desperate struggle to avert disaster.
“I can only say it was a miracle. It was terrifying and insane, and we are grateful to God for our survival. We weren’t sure we would make it, but thank God we’re in Israel. We’re home now, and it feels great to see everyone here,” said passenger Lital Shachaf.
The flight, originating from the United Arab Emirates, was diverted to Saudi Arabia after sending out emergency signals earlier in the day. The Tabuk airport reported a distress call from the FlyDubai flight at 8:44 a.m. local time, and it landed safely at 9:45 a.m.
Investigation into motive
Israeli officials indicated that the motive behind the attack on Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv is still under investigation. Israel and the U.A.E., which includes Dubai, established diplomatic relations through the Abraham Accords in 2020.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Saudi authorities were questioning the co-pilot accused of the stabbing, although it was unclear if this was occurring while he was hospitalized.
A FlyDubai flight descended into chaos when the pilot was stabbed inside the cockpit, sending the aircraft plunging. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the attacker intended to crash the plane, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu identified the captain as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, praising his “extraordinary bravery.”
The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia stated that Machchhar is currently in stable condition after being hospitalized.
“Despite being stabbed and severely injured, he fought back, resisted the attacker, opened the cockpit door, and allowed passengers and crew to subdue the assailant—preventing a potential mid-air disaster,” Netanyahu remarked on X. “He saved the lives of 174 individuals, including Israeli citizens and others.”
According to Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the passengers included individuals from Israel, India, and the U.A.E., with the U.S. State Department confirming that four passengers held American citizenship.
Flight operations on hold
FlyDubai announced that it would suspend flights to and from Israel while an investigation is conducted. Saudi authorities have also confirmed that an inquiry is in progress.
The aircraft was diverted over Jordanian airspace toward Saudi Arabia, initially sending a general emergency signal followed by another indicating possible unlawful interference shortly after, based on information from flight-tracking service Flightradar24.
The aircraft’s data suggested a sudden and rapid descent of nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds before the first emergency signal was transmitted, according to Flightradar24.
Passengers on the FlyDubai aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency signal, arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv on Wednesday. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)
The emergency signals prompted a significant security response in Israel, which does not have official diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, the landing site of the plane.
The passengers were eventually transported by another aircraft, arriving in Israel on Wednesday evening.
“I was seated by the window… we fell from 15,000 feet and it was shocking,” passenger Peleg Italy recounted to CBC’s Willy Lowry after landing in Tel Aviv. “You just don’t know what happened.”
Italy noted that while he could not see the front of the plane from his position, he witnessed others rushing toward the cockpit and soon felt the aircraft stabilize again. “Then we started climbing, and it was like, whoa. But then the plane returned to normal, and everyone was pushed down by the G-Force.”
In this still photo from video, passenger Peleg Italy describes his experience on board the FlyDubai flight as it suddenly plunged. (CBC)
Onboard panic
“People were screaming and shouting about blood and a stabbing,” passenger Adam Polo told CBC News Network’s Andrew Nichols from Tel Aviv. He shared that fellow passengers were panicking, feeling the plane descend without understanding what was happening and unable to communicate with anyone on the ground.
Polo mentioned that they eventually realized the pilot had opened the cockpit door, the alleged attacker had been subdued, and another pilot had taken control of the plane.
This incident underscored the potential dangers of a route that has gained popularity among Israeli travelers since the normalization of relations between the U.A.E. and Israel six years ago.
Polo acknowledged that there was some concern aboard when they learned the plane would make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, but this apprehension was brief.
“They welcomed us in a very kind manner. They provided medical assistance, food, drinks, and sweets for the children,” Polo stated.
Passengers aboard the flight described panic and then relief. (Ohad Zwigenberg/The Associated Press)
The occurrence took place just weeks before Israel’s elections on October 27, with security being a primary concern following the deadly Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023.
Netanyahu directed authorities to enhance security measures for both Israeli and foreign airlines arriving in the country.
“We will ensure that every pilot flying into Israel will have their identities verified and undergo some form of security screening,” stated Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for Netanyahu, to Reuters.
While Israel has not encountered a hijacking in years, it maintains some of the strictest security protocols at airports globally, particularly for flights heading to Israel. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Israelis faced numerous hijackings and airplane assaults by militants, including a 1972 incident where Netanyahu, then serving with the Israel Defense Forces, sustained a bullet wound during a rescue operation.
Friends and family wait to greet the passengers as they arrive back in Tel Aviv following the diverted flight. (Michal Yaakov Itzhaki/Reuters)
FlyDubai warns against ‘speculation’
In a statement, FlyDubai announced that two replacement aircraft were sent to Tabuk to transport the passengers and crew and urged against premature “speculation” regarding the incident.
“At this initial phase, the reasons and motives behind this event are still unclear and are subject to an official investigation. We encourage all parties to refrain from early speculation while authorities gather the facts,” the statement read.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar reported that he had spoken with his counterpart in the U.A.E., agreeing to collaborate on efforts “against extremist elements aiming to threaten security and destabilize the region.”
The U.A.E.’s general Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that it is looking into the security incident.
FlyDubai serves as the budget counterpart to Emirates Airlines, operating daily round trips between Dubai and Tel Aviv while typically using airspace over Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The airline’s fleet solely consists of variations of the 737—a twin-engine, single-aisle aircraft extensively utilized by airlines worldwide. It possesses nearly 100 of these planes, including 69 of the Max 8 variant.
Although infrequent, there have been reported cases of pilot murder-suicide. A Germanwings pilot was found to have intentionally crashed a plane in the French Alps in 2015, resulting in the deaths of all 150 individuals on board.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board determined that an EgyptAir pilot intentionally crashed a plane into the Atlantic Ocean in 1999 shortly after departing from New York, a conclusion disputed by the Egyptian government.