Passenger Films Plea for Help After Overpowering Knifeman on Flydubai Flight

Passengers on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv managed to subdue a pilot who allegedly attempted to hijack the aircraft, leading to the plane diverting to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. A passenger filmed a plea for assistance moments after the incident, with blood visible on his face.

According to an Israeli official, the pilot attacked his co-pilot and attempted to hijack the flight with the intention of crashing it. A "major disaster was narrowly avoided" as passengers intervened to control the situation. Footage from the cabin shows another passenger with blood on his shirt, and the injured pilot lying on the floor while passengers administer oxygen. A second crew member was also seen tied up and seemingly unconscious.

Flydubai Flight FZ1073 transmitted a general emergency signal before its data showed a rapid descent of nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Passengers reported hearing altercations in the cockpit, followed by a steep dive.

Security officials in Israel reportedly believe the incident was an act of terror. Reports suggest a second team of pilots in civilian clothes may have prevented the pilot from taking control and crashing the jet. One passenger described the event as "like a terrorist attack in mid-air."

Passenger Itzhak Liber recorded a video stating, "We took control of the situation here on the flight. There was an attacker with a knife who stabbed one of the pilots. We just jumped on him and restrained him together with the pilot." He added that the attacker was "neutralised" and "seriously injured."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz were briefed on the situation. Israeli airspace was temporarily closed and subsequently reopened. A regional official indicated a fight broke out in the cockpit, though the cause was not immediately clear.

Passengers recounted hearing screams from the plane and seeing blood after the cockpit door was opened. One passenger named Miriam described the plane losing control and fearing a crash, stating, "I screamed 'Shema Yisrael', and said 'I cannot die'." Several Israeli passengers helped restrain the attacker, while those with medical training assisted the injured pilot.

Data from publicly available sources indicates the jet took a sharp nosedive, dropping from 34,000 feet to around 17,000 feet in under a minute. The aircraft experienced further altitude fluctuations before maintaining around 15,000 feet for about an hour, suggesting manual control. Israeli authorities were unable to establish contact with the jet during the incident.

The flight landed safely in Tabuk with 180 passengers. Flydubai confirmed the incident and stated that all passengers are safe. The airline is arranging for a second plane to transport passengers to Israel. Commercial flights between Israel and the UAE have been operating since the countries normalized ties in 2020.