The co-pilot of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv is believed to have stabbed the captain in a possible attempted "terror attack" on Wednesday, forcing the plane to divert to Saudi Arabia where it landed safely, three Israeli officials said.

They said the cabin crew entered the cockpit and took control of flydubai flight FZ1073 from the United Arab Emirates to Israel, which diverted to Saudi Arabia as it flew over Jordanian airspace. One of the officials identified the attacker as an Omani national.

An Israeli official had earlier told Reuters news agency the plane transmitted emergency signals after the pilots got into a physical altercation with each other.

The aircraft's data appeared to show that it had suddenly and rapidly descended by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before a first emergency signal was sent, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

Around the time the plane landed in Saudi Arabia, Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister's office, said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking, describing it as a "different incident".

The Israeli officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to brief reporters, said Israel's current assessment is that the incident was an attempted "terror attack" and not related to any kind of mental health issue with either of the pilots.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saudi Arabia has arrested the co-pilot of a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai plane.

"The stabbing pilot has been arrested and is currently being interrogated by the Saudi authorities," Netanyahu said in a video message, as he ordered preparations against further possible threats.

Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon said the plane was "pretty much out of control" when the stabbing took place over Jordan on the flight's path from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

"The co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane," she told reporters by speakerphone held up by her mother who was waiting at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

"It was really on the way to crashing, and it was simply the resourcefulness of many people who took control of the co-pilot and neutralised him," she said.

"There was also a doctor who gave first aid, and people who treated both of them. Other than the pilot, there were no injuries, but the bigger fear was really a crash, which is exactly what he was trying to do."

She said that two other pilots were on the plane and took charge, diverting it to Saudi Arabia. (Reuters/AFP)
_____________________________
Last updated: 2026-09-51 HKT 21:51

Edited by Aaron Tam