The co-pilot of a Dubai Air flight stabbed the captain with a knife in an attempt to crash. Passengers subdued him and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

A major air safety incident was reported on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israel, on September 30. "Reuters" reported that Israeli officials said that the co-pilot was suspected of stabbing the captain with a knife and trying to crash the passenger plane. At one point, the plane plummeted nearly 14,000 feet (about 4,267 meters) in less than 30 seconds. Passengers and crew members rushed into the cockpit and subdued the co-pilot. In the end, two other Dubai Airline pilots who happened to be on the same flight took over and made a safe emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

According to comprehensive foreign media reports, flight FZ1073 was originally scheduled to fly from Dubai to Tel Aviv. There were 174 people on board, most of whom were Israelis. Israeli officials said that the co-pilot stabbed the captain during the incident, and the passenger plane subsequently descended rapidly. The injured captain was lying in the cockpit with blood on his body, but he still managed to press the door opening device to allow passengers to enter the cockpit. After the passengers broke in, they found the co-pilot violently tapping the aircraft control panel. Several people immediately stepped forward to subdue him. Asaf Rajuan, a passenger who participated in the subjugation operation, said that he had no time to think at the time and "just rushed to save his daughter and his family." He himself was also injured in the forehead during the struggle.

Reports pointed out that there were two other Dubai Airlines pilots on board at the time. The two took over the control of the passenger plane after the co-pilot was subdued, and finally landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. The local airport stated that the two pilots who were originally on duty were sent to the hospital for injuries. More than 10 hours after the incident, the passengers took an alternative flight arranged by Dubai Air and arrived at Tel Aviv Bangurion Airport. Passenger Lital Shachaf described the whole incident as a "miracle", saying that the process was extremely chaotic and terrifying, and he thought he would not survive. Fortunately, he finally returned to Israel safely.

The Israeli ambulance service said that a 51-year-old man was sent to hospital with injuries to his upper body, which were considered minor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as a "serious security incident" and said the co-pilot involved would be questioned by Saudi Arabian authorities. Israeli officials said that the co-pilot was an Omani national, but the motive for the crime is still under investigation. Oman has not yet responded. Dubai Air issued a statement confirming that a "conflict" occurred in the cockpit and the flight was diverted to Tabuk, but emphasized that the cause of the incident has not yet been clarified and called on the outside world not to speculate prematurely. The civil aviation authority of the United Arab Emirates also stated that the flight encountered a "security incident" and is currently under control.

After the incident, Israel announced that it would strengthen identity checks on pilots flying into the country. Netanyahu's spokesman Doron Spielman said that in the future, the identity and background of the pilots flying to Israel will be known and a certain level of security checks will be conducted. U.S. President Trump also said that he had had a lengthy phone call with Netanyahu on the matter. However, when Trump relayed the incident to the media, he specifically emphasized that he heard the relevant content from Natanyahu and that he could not confirm whether all the details were true.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed the Abraham Accords and established diplomatic relations in 2020. Dubai Air currently has daily flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv. After this rare cockpit safety incident occurred, the motives of the co-pilot involved, the complete incident and the airline's internal safety procedures still need to be further investigated and clarified by relevant countries.