A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia after one pilot allegedly stabbed the other at around 5:20 this morning.
Flight FZ1073 was diverted to Tabuk airport in northern Saudi Arabia, after dropping around 17,400ft in less than two minutes, according to data from Flightradar24.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed one pilot had stabbed the other and ‘tried to crash the plane’.
Passengers reportedly intervened after hearing screams and seeing an attacker with a knife in the cockpit.
One passenger said ‘three to five guys burst into the cockpit’ and subdued the attacker, while another said passengers ‘took control’ of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, as reported by the BBC.
Two other pilots who were travelling as passengers reportedly came forward to help land the aircraft in Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu said the pilot accused of launching the attack had been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities. The exact circumstances of the incident remain under investigation.
Both pilots were taken to hospital following the incident, according to Saudi airport authorities.
Flydubai said the aircraft had experienced an incident and landed safely in Tabuk, adding that it was working with the relevant authorities.
The budget sister carrier of Emirates airline added that the incident has not impacted any other scheduled flights across its network.
