Man who helped prevent tragedy on plane to Israel was welcomed as a hero by Netanyahu — Photo: Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was too early to determine who was behind the incident involving a Flydubai plane traveling between Dubai and Tel Aviv. The statement was made after the aircraft's co-pilot stabbed the pilot during a flight on Wednesday (30).
Netanyahu also adopted caution when asked about possible Iranian participation.
“We will get to the origins of this attacker, regardless of whether he has accomplices or not.” However, he cautioned that “it was too early to say anything” when asked if there was any indication of Iranian involvement, according to a statement to Fox News.
The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, in turn, classified the episode as a "terrorist attack". He told Fox News that Israel was "certain" that it was an attack committed by a radical individual, but that there was not yet an established link with a terrorist state or organization.
Following the incident, Flydubai suspended all flights to Israel.
Plumber helped control plane
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Wednesday (30) that the Israeli Yaniv Hayun, who helped prevent the plane from crashing, is a plumber and had never flown an aircraft.
According to Trump, Hayun managed to take control and level the plane after the copilot attacked the pilot and left the aircraft on a downward trajectory. The American president claimed to have heard the report directly from Netanyahu.
According to Trump, Hayun entered the cockpit after hearing screams and found the plane in a steep descent. The pilot would have been able to open the cabin door to ask for help.
Trump claimed that Hayun grabbed the controls, pulled the aircraft up and managed to level it before it crashed.
"And without ever having flown a plane, he grabbed the stick, pulled it up and leveled the plane before it crashed," Trump said.
According to the American president, Hayun said he had some knowledge about emergency situations on planes from watching a television program about plane crashes.
"But he said he watches a lot and that he learned, from watching the show, more or less how to fly. I mean, you tell me: isn't that the craziest thing?", said Trump.
Trump called the episode an "incredible story", but stressed that he did not know whether all the details in the report were true.
Received as a hero
Hayun was received like a hero by Netanyahu upon landing at Ben Gurion airport in Israel. The Israeli told the Prime Minister that he entered the cockpit after noticing the confrontation between the two pilots and managed to stop the plane from falling by pulling the controls up.
He also confirmed that series specializing in aviation helped him with the action. “Luckily, I watched Air Crash Investigation,” he said.
"It's just unbelievable what you did, you know? Just unbelievable. Not only did you save everyone on board the plane. You don't know what could have happened to him. We don't know what would have happened," Netanyahu responded.
The co-pilot was arrested and interrogated after landing, which was assisted by crew members, according to FlyDubai. The man has Omani nationality and, in a statement after being arrested, stated that he acted alone.
Netanyahu also placed Israeli airspace on alert and announced the suspension of all FlyDubai flights to Israel.
The case
FlyDubai flight FZ1073 had left Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, early in the morning, bound for Tel Aviv, Israel. When he was close to Israeli airspace, the co-pilot attacked the pilot, who reacted, according to the Israeli government.
The confrontation between the two left the aircraft temporarily out of control and caused the plane to plummet around 4,300 meters in approximately 30 seconds, according to the aerial monitoring website Flightradar24.
Passengers noticed the confrontation and, with the help of crew members, managed to restrain the co-pilot, according to reports from people who were on the flight.
In a video sent to relatives, Israeli Itzhak Liber, who was among the passengers, stated that "an out-of-control man with a knife stabbed one of the pilots."
"We are here on the plane coming from Dubai. We are here on the plane; there was an out of control man with a knife who stabbed one of the pilots. We acted and helped the pilot," Liber said. Another passenger reported "blood everywhere."
Emergency and landing signs in Saudi Arabia
Bloodied passengers after a fight between pilots on a Flydubai flight heading to Israel that was diverted to Saudi Arabia on September 30, 2026. — Photo: Reproduction/social media
The radars recorded the flight being out of control. When the plane flew over Jordan, Israel's neighbor, emergency signals began to be emitted by the aircraft. One of them transmitted the world aviation hijack code, and the route was abruptly changed to Saudi Arabia.
Although both pilots were injured, the plane landed safely in the city of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. FlyDubai said in a statement that "the crew" made the landing, but did not clarify which team members made the landing. Passengers, however, reported that pilots who were passengers on the flight commanded the landing.
Israel even requested that Saudi fighter jets escort the flight during the landing operation, but the request was denied, according to the Saudi Arabian government itself.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stated that the terrorist aimed to murder the Israelis on board — 100 of the 180 passengers were Israeli citizens, according to the Israeli government.
Saudi Tabuk airport, where the flight landed, said both the pilot and co-pilot were injured and hospitalized, and that passengers were also treated. Hours later, they were taken by another plane and arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
According to Netanyahu, Saudi Arabia detained and interrogated the co-pilot and opened an investigation into the case. Israeli media said that the Mossad, the country's main intelligence agency responsible for special and covert operations, is also investigating the case.
Hours later, a second Flydubai flight heading to Tel Aviv made a brief detour on its route, according to FlightRadar24, but later resumed its route. The reason for the deviation had not been disclosed until the last update of this report.
Flydubai operates daily flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a route heavily used by Israeli citizens.
Confrontation, knife and panic in the cabin
The mother of a passenger who was on board the flight told Reuters that her daughter told her she heard screams and that a man took a knife, put the pilot on the ground and that there was blood everywhere.
"She called me [after landing] and said that they heard voices, someone asked for help. It was the pilot. He was shouting: 'Help, help, help!'
"After a few minutes, two other pilots took control. Some Israelis ran up to a man, and at that moment he took a knife and tried to kill the pilot. They held his hand and put him on the ground. There was a lot of blood everywhere", added Yasmin.
According to Yasmin, the passengers were "stressed and in shock" with the whole situation.
