Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – A Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia after its co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and appeared to attempt to crash the aircraft, in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a “most serious security incident.”
Flight FZ1073 was forced to divert to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia following a struggle in the cockpit. Both pilots were injured and taken to the hospital, according to Saudi Arabia’s leading aviation operator.
Netanyahu said passengers and crew managed to overpower the attacker, who was subsequently arrested.
Israeli officials said the suspected attacker was the aircraft’s co-pilot. An Israeli official told CNN that he was an Omani national, although authorities have not publicly released his identity.
Aircraft Plummeted 17,400 Feet
According to Netanyahu, passengers reported that after stabbing the captain, the co-pilot appeared to interfere with the aircraft’s systems and tried to bring down the plane.
Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft descended about 17,400 feet in less than two minutes during the incident.
One passenger told Israeli media that there were moments when she believed she was going to die.
Most of the passengers were later flown to Israel aboard a replacement Flydubai aircraft sent to Tabuk. Family members told CNN that three families refused to board the replacement flight, insisting that they return to Israel only aboard an Israeli-operated aircraft.
Saudi Arabia had earlier rejected an Israeli request to send a military or civilian aircraft to bring the passengers home.
Motive Remains Unknown
Authorities have not disclosed how the captain was attacked, what weapon was allegedly used, or how it was brought into the cockpit. The motive for the suspected hijacking attempt also remains unclear.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the incident as an attempted “jihadist terror attack” and credited Israeli passengers with helping to thwart it. He provided no evidence publicly supporting the characterization.
Other Israeli officials also praised the passengers for intervening.
President Isaac Herzog described the incident as a “great miracle” and praised what he called the heroism displayed on board, saying Israel would investigate the incident with its Emirati partners.
The incident has also raised questions about aviation security because the suspected threat came from inside the cockpit rather than from a passenger or an external attacker.
CNN national security analyst Alex Plitsas said aviation security procedures developed after the September 11 attacks have largely focused on preventing threats from passengers and other external actors.
He said the incident appeared to expose a rare vulnerability because the alleged attacker was already a member of the flight crew with access to the cockpit and aircraft systems.
The investigation is expected to focus on the circumstances surrounding the cockpit struggle, the identity and background of the suspected attacker, and what prompted the alleged assault.
Leave a Reply