A routine Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv turned into a terrifying ordeal when the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the pilot and attempted to crash the aircraft, triggering emergency signals and forcing an unscheduled landing in Saudi Arabia. US President Donald Trump has now weighed in, suggesting the co-pilot may have been either a terrorist or someone acting irrationally.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump recounted a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the shocking incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073. According to Trump, Netanyahu described how the co-pilot attacked the pilot mid-flight, prompting chaos in the cockpit. The aircraft, carrying more than 170 Israeli passengers, plummeted nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds before emergency signals were transmitted, according to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24.
Trump relayed a dramatic account he received from Netanyahu involving an Israeli plumber on board who had never flown a plane but reportedly intervened after hearing screams from the cockpit. The passenger allegedly grabbed the controls, pulled back the stick, and leveled the aircraft, preventing a catastrophic crash. Trump said Netanyahu told him the plumber learned basic flight maneuvers from watching the television show Air Disasters. While Trump acknowledged he could not independently verify the story, he called it incredible and praised the passenger’s quick thinking.
Israeli officials have described the event as a highly severe security incident. Netanyahu stated that the co-pilot, identified by an Israeli official as an Omani national, was arrested after the plane made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Both pilots were hospitalized with injuries, according to Saudi airport authorities. Netanyahu claimed passengers and crew members broke into the cockpit after the aircraft entered a tailspin and found the co-pilot attempting to sabotage the plane’s systems.
Flydubai, the Dubai-based carrier that operates daily flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, issued a cautious statement saying the underlying reasons for the altercation remain unknown and are under formal investigation. The airline warned against premature speculation about motives or circumstances. Conflicting reports have emerged in Israeli media, with some outlets describing the incident as a possible suicide attempt and others identifying the pilots as Russian and Ukrainian nationals, rather than Omani and Emirati.
The incident has sparked diplomatic complications. Saudi Arabia, which has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel, rejected an Israeli request to send military aircraft to retrieve the stranded passengers. Israeli air force officials had prepared Super Hercules planes for the mission, but Riyadh declined. The passengers eventually continued their journey to Israel aboard a replacement Flydubai aircraft after spending eight hours on the ground in Saudi Arabia.
The drama unfolds as Trump continues pushing Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states. Saudi Arabia has consistently refused to join without progress toward Palestinian statehood. A senior Saudi official denied recent reports of meetings between Saudi and Israeli officials.
Israeli authorities have announced a joint investigation involving the transport ministry and defense establishment. Netanyahu has ordered tighter security measures on both Israeli and non-Israeli carriers flying into Israel. The incident has heightened security fears in Israel ahead of upcoming elections, with national security emerging as a prominent campaign issue following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks.
Aviation experts and security analysts are now scrutinizing how the situation escalated so rapidly and what security protocols may need strengthening. The incident raises serious questions about pilot vetting, cockpit security, and emergency response procedures on international flights operating in the volatile Middle East region.
