A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv landed safely in Saudi Arabia after a man stabbed a pilot and tried to take over the aircraft, the BBC reported. The incident prompted separate investigations and a suspension of Flydubai service between Dubai and Tel Aviv.
Flight FZ1073 left Dubai International Airport at 03:05 GMT (07:05 local time) with more than 170 people aboard, bound for Ben Gurion Airport. About two hours into the journey, the aircraft lost more than 17,000 feet (5,200 metres) of altitude and later signalled an emergency. After briefly entering Jordanian airspace, it looped back into Saudi Arabia and landed safely at Tabuk Airport at about 05:40, the BBC reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said investigations suggested the alleged attacker had undergone Islamist radical indoctrination. He also described it as very likely that the man intended to bring down the plane, but said it was too early to draw firm conclusions about motive. The UAE state news agency reported that authorities there were investigating whether the incident was linked to terrorist activity or purpose. The BBC separately cited an Israeli security source who said preliminary findings suggested an intention to crash the aircraft; that investigation reportedly interviewed passengers after they reached Tel Aviv. None of these reported assessments establishes the suspect’s motive or intent.
The UAE had said it claimed jurisdiction because the aircraft was registered there and flew under its flag. The Saudi Interior Ministry said the pilot and co-pilot were returned to the UAE on Thursday morning after medical teams cleared them. The stabbed pilot, Indian national Capt Smit Machchhar, was in hospital; India’s mission said he was in good health and recovering well after the ambassador visited him.
Flydubai suspended flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv while investigating. El Al, Israir and Arkia said plans were in place for rescue flights from Dubai starting Friday, and Israel’s Transportation Ministry said it had urgently asked Etihad to increase flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. The BBC report did not confirm whether those planned flights operated.
Source: BBC News.
