Netanyahu suspends Flydubai flights after mid-air stabbing sparks terror probe

Israeli authorities scrambled fighter jets amid concerns the aircraft could have been hijacked, following an altercation in the cockpit involving the pilot, understood to be an Omani national.

The Israeli Prime Minister has ensured all Flydubai flights en route to Israel be suspended, following calls from Israeli transport minister Miri Regev.

Meanwhile, Israel Katz the nation’s defence minister, described the incident aboard the aircraft as a "jihadist terror attack attempt."

Mr Netanyahu said: "The pilot who carried out the stabbing was arrested and is currently being questioned by the Saudi authorities.

"During the flight, as they were approaching Israel, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot and, apparently, tried to crash the plane with its passengers on board.

"I spoke with one of the Israeli passengers. He told me that the plane went into a spin and began to descend.

"He told me that, somehow, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members and, together, they overpowered the pilot who had carried out the stabbing while he was attempting to sabotage the aircraft’s systems.

"Another air crew who was on the plane entered the cockpit and managed to stabilise the aircraft.

"I salute these heroes who demonstrated extraordinary resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster.

"The plane landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. All the passengers are now out of danger."

In the wake of the chaotic incident, a senior Israeli official told i24 News: “It is unclear what the pilot was trying to do - whether to hijack it to Israel, whether to crash it into the ground, or whether to carry out a 9/11-style attack. What is clear - he wanted to hijack the aircraft."

Speaking to Channel 12, an official added: "This is the great stroke of luck for this flight; otherwise, we would be in an incident taken from September 2001 or July 1976."

Meanwhile, Israel’s prime minister is "monitoring developments" after the emergency landing of the Flydubai plane in Saudi Arabia.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said: "The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel."

It is alleged that the pilot attacked his co-pilot and attempted to take control of the aircraft "with the intention of crashing it", until he was apprehended by plane staff and passengers, according to Israeli sources.

Flight-tracking data appeared to show the Boeing 737 MAX suddenly descending by almost 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal, according to Flightradar24.

The aircraft initially transmitted squawk code 7700, the international signal for a general emergency, before briefly switching to 7500, indicating unlawful interference or a possible hijacking. It later reverted to 7700.

Two people sitting at the back of the plane forced into an emergency stop in Saudi Arabia stepped forward to help land the aircraft, reports from passengers indicate.

Almog Itali told reporters that "relief pilots" were supposed to be operating a subsequent flight - one of them was British, Itali said, according to the BBC.

The second relief pilot was European but did not specify their nationality, he said.

The exact details of what happened in the cockpit are unclear, but the relief pilots stabilised the plane and landed it in Saudi Arabia.

Yasmin Abukasis, whose daughter was on board the plane, recited her daughter’s recollection of events to Sky News, and said she was told how "all the people screamed".

Some Israelis on the plane then ran to a "guy who was holding a knife", she said.

"He took a knife and tried to kill the pilot. They took his hand and put them on the floor. There was a lot of blood around," the mother added from her daughter’s account while on board.

Israeli authorities are now said to be treating the incident as a terrorist attack, as the co-pilot reportedly stabbed the captain.

Authorities are investigating the suspicion that the pilot involved in the stabbing is from a Gulf state.

One passenger said: “We were either going to crash or be murdered. It was like a terrorist attack in mid-air.”

Another passenger told Israeli media: “We heard screams on the plane. Then they opened the cockpit and we saw blood, and someone had stabbed the pilot with a pocketknife.”

A Flydubai spokesman said: “FlyDubai can confirm that flight FZ 1073 operating from Dubai International (DXB) to Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) on September 30 experienced an incident while en route.

“The aircraft has landed safely in Tabuk Airport (TUU) and all passengers are safe and accounted for. The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.

"Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities. Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available.”