MID-AIR TERROR: POTENTIAL ATTACK THWARTED ON FLYDUBAI FLIGHT BETWEEN DUBAI AND TEL AVIV

Flight FZ1073, carrying approximately 180 passengers, was diverted and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia following a serious incident in the cockpit. The aircraft dropped more than 6,000 meters in a matter of minutes, sparking panic among passengers as screams were heard coming from the cockpit.

A struggle for control of the plane was unfolding inside. According to Israeli authorities and media, one of the pilots—identified as an Omani national—allegedly attacked the captain (a UAE national) with a pocketknife and attempted to seize control, in an incident being investigated as a possible suicide attack attempt.

The cockpit door opened, and reports indicate that passengers and crew intervened to subdue the attacker and regain control. Minutes earlier, the crew had transmitted code 7500, used to signal possible unlawful interference or a hijacking. Israel scrambled fighter jets to intercept the aircraft.

An Israeli official stated that one pilot stabbed the other and allegedly attempted to carry out an attack similar to 9/11—either by diverting the plane toward Israel or crashing it—a version of events currently under investigation. Ultimately, flight FZ1073 landed safely at Tabuk Airport. Authorities are investigating exactly what transpired in the cockpit and the pilot's motive.