Israel is investigating suspicions of terrorism after the Flydubai plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia

The Israeli government is apparently investigating suspicions of terrorism in the case of the passenger plane that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. It could be an attempted terrorist attack, two Israeli government officials told the Reuters news agency. Accordingly, the co-pilot could have attacked the pilot of the aircraft with a knife before other crew members could get into the cockpit and take control of the aircraft. The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz also reported, citing government circles, that one of the pilots may have tried to intentionally crash the plane.

The flight of the airline Flydubai with the registration number FZ1073 had taken off from Dubai to Tel Aviv and, according to Israeli reports, had 150 to 180 people on board. Over Jordanian airspace, the plane sent out two emergency signals within a few minutes, one of which indicated a possible hijacking. The Israeli military then launched fighter jets and the government and military leadership began emergency meetings. The machine turned off, lost about six kilometers of altitude within a few minutes, according to data from the Flightradar portal, and also accelerated sharply. Shortly afterwards she landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. According to the Israeli government and the airline Flydubai, all passengers should be safe.

Conflicting information about alleged fight between pilots

Several Israeli media initially reported, citing security circles, that a hijacking of the plane, which was feared at the beginning of the incident, could be ruled out. The reason for the incident was a “physical altercation” between the pilot and co-pilot, the background of which is unclear.

However, other media reported, citing statements from passengers, that there had been a knife attack. The attacker was kept at bay with the help of passengers. Photos of a suspected passenger with blood smeared on his clothes spread on social networks. It is not clear whether the suspected attacker was one of the pilots.

Some reports suggested that one of the pilots intended to commit suicide by intentionally crashing. However, Israeli government officials quoted by Reuters said mental health issues were not believed to be the cause of the incident. There are also uncertainties regarding the nationality of the pilots. While some media initially reported that it was a Russian and a Ukrainian, other sources reported that the pilots were both nationals of Oman and the United Arab Emirates.