Emergency landing of Flydubai plane in Saudi Arabia after an incident in the cockpit

According to Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a "terrorist" wanted to crash a Flydubai airliner that had to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The aim was to "murder the 180 Israelis on board," Ben-Gvir wrote on the X platform. "Terror is a devil with whom you cannot make an agreement," Ben-Gvir continued. Rather, he must be “defeated and erased from the face of the earth.”

A Flydubai flight en route to Tel Aviv had previously made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a violent incident in the cockpit. According to consistent reports in the Israeli media, a pilot is said to have injured his colleague with a knife. Passengers therefore helped to overpower the attacker. There has so far been no official confirmation that the pilot deliberately wanted to crash the plane.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded in an X-Post: "Whoever tried to bring down a plane and murder 180 Israelis must pay for it as if he had murdered them." This applies to the attacker as well as to "any state or terrorist organization that sent him."

The mother of an Israeli passenger told the AFP news agency that according to her daughter, one of the pilots tried to stab his colleague with a knife. "My daughter called and said she was in Saudi Arabia," said Yasmine Abécassis, who was waiting at Tel Aviv airport. "She said that one pilot tried to kill the other pilot with a knife." Alerted by loud screams, passengers rushed into the cockpit and "wrestled the guy down," Abécassis reported. An Israeli woman reported to the TV station N12 that the passengers were very afraid. There were “screams and panic”.

There had previously been media reports that the pilots on board had attacked each other. DER SPIEGEL also reported.

The plane sent a distress signal and Israeli fighter jets took off

According to Israeli media, the flight with the identifier FZ1073 sent the emergency code 7700 for a general emergency, then for a short time the emergency code 7500 for unlawful interference or hijacking. According to the Times of Israel, Israeli authorities were unable to contact the crew. The Israeli Air Force therefore sent fighter jets into the air and Israeli airspace was closed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly convened a security meeting with defense ministry officials. Netanyahu's office later said the situation was under control. Everything is being done to ensure the safe return of Israeli passengers home.