Netanyahu says Israel will get to the 'root' of co-pilot in foiled bid to crash flydubai flight
Crew and passengers subdued the attacker after the plane plunged 14,000 feet in 30 seconds, officials and flight-tracking data showed.
- On Wednesday, a FlyDubai flight carrying 174 passengers made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after an Omani copilot allegedly stabbed Indian captain Smit Machchhar and signaled 'mayday' during the flight.
- Authorities are investigating all possibilities, from terrorism to mental disorders, as the UAE government examines 'whether it was linked to any terrorist purpose' regarding the attack.
- After the bloodied captain opened the cockpit door, passengers grappled with the copilot and stabilized the aircraft; President Donald Trump praised the Boeing 737 Max 8, saying it was 'able to withstand G Forces and Strain far beyond what it was designed.'
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel is joining the interrogation in coordination with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, while FlyDubai suspended all flights to and from Israel.
- The incident occurs as the region approaches the anniversary of the Hamas-led Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza, while the country remains weeks from an election.
451 Articles
451 Articles
What the Flydubai Incident Reveals About When a Pilot Becomes the Threat
People sit in the cockpit of a FlyDubai 737 Max on display at Al-Maktoum International Airport during the Dubai Airshow on Nov. 20, 2025. —Giuseppe Cacace—Getty ImagesThe facts about what happened aboard Flydubai flight 1073, from Dubai, UAE to Tel Aviv, Israel on Sept. 30 are not in dispute. The plane, carrying more than 170 passengers, left the ground at 3:05 a.m. local time (11:05 p.m. EDT) to begin a planned three-hour and 35-minute journey…
(Cairo=Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Sang-hoon = A Flydubai passenger plane (FZ...) carrying 174 passengers from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Tel Aviv, Israel
My Mother Lode
The RecordInside FlyDubai’s 4-hour ordeal: A cockpit fight, steep descents and alternating distress codes
This is a timeline of the four hours FlyDubai flight 1073 was in the air as a wounded captain fought off his copilot, the aircraft went into a dive and when passengers saved the day by regaining control and landing safely. For 200 seconds, the aircraft zigzagged as if on a terrifying roller coaster ride...
The pilot who stabbed his partner on a Flydubai flight is Omani and asked to be intercepted to be killed.
A plane en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to turn around and land in Saudi Arabia. According to passengers, a pilot was stabbed on board the plane. SVT goes through the events minute by minute.
The question marks surrounding the attack on a flight between Dubai and Tel Aviv are still many the day after. How could it have happened? The Swedish Pilots Association hopes that the attack will be a "warning bell" and lead to improved safety.
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