Flydubai Incident Being Treated As Terror Attack, Pilot Was Omani: Israeli Authorities Say Major Disaster Averted

Tel Aviv: A mid-air incident aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv is increasingly being treated by Israeli authorities as a possible terror attack, after an Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and attempted to take control of the aircraft, according to Israeli media reports.

Israeli officials said a major disaster was narrowly averted after crew members and passengers intervened during the cockpit confrontation. The aircraft, carrying more than 150 passengers, was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on Wednesday when an emergency unfolded onboard. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft transmitting an emergency signal before briefly switching to the 7500 code, used to indicate hijacking or unlawful interference. Israeli authorities subsequently scrambled fighter jets toward the aircraft amid fears of a hijacking.

Mossad, Shin Bet, IDF Join Flydubai Probe

Mossad, Shin Bet, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Transportation Ministry are involved in the investigation into the Flydubai incident, as per Israeli media reports.

The incident is increasingly being investigated as a possible intentional attempt by a crew member to crash the aircraft.

Mossad is leading the probe, with assistance from the Shin Bet. Israeli authorities have also decided to question passengers after they return to Israel to gather further information about what happened on board.

Meanwhile, efforts are underway to secure the necessary approvals for an Israeli Air Force aircraft to travel to Saudi Arabia, where the Flydubai plane made an emergency landing. The move presents a diplomatic challenge, as Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have formal diplomatic relations.

Omani Co-Pilot Under Investigation

According to reports, the pilot suspected of trying to take control of the aircraft was Omani, while the other pilot was reportedly an Emirati national.

The Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain during a violent confrontation in the cockpit and then attempted to take control of the aircraft. The incident prompted intervention by additional crew members and passengers, who helped subdue the suspected attacker.

Saudi authorities are investigating the incident after the aircraft landed at Tabuk. Both pilots were reported to have sustained injuries and were hospitalised.

The nationality details have been reported by Israeli media, while authorities have not publicly provided a complete account of the pilots' identities or the motive behind the incident.

Israel Examines Terror Angle

The incident was initially viewed as a possible hijacking after the aircraft transmitted the unlawful-interference signal. However, Israeli officials later indicated that their assessment was shifting towards a possible attempted terror attack.

Two Israeli officials told Reuters that the current assessment was that the incident may have been an attempted terror attack by one of the pilots, rather than an episode linked to a mental-health crisis. At the same time, the investigation remains ongoing and Israeli authorities have not said that the terror motive has been conclusively established.

Israeli media, similarly reported a growing assessment among Israeli officials that the emergency may have been an attempted terror attack. The reports stressed that this assessment was not yet definitive, with other possibilities still being examined.

Plane Plunged Thousands Of Feet

The aircraft's flight path added to the alarm. According to flight-tracking data cited by Reuters, the Boeing 737 descended by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal was transmitted.

The aircraft was flying over the region between Jordan and Saudi Arabia when it diverted from its planned route towards Tel Aviv and headed for Tabuk. It eventually landed safely at the Saudi airport.

Other reports have cited a larger altitude drop over a longer period, but the available flight-tracking data clearly indicates a sudden and significant descent during the incident.

'Major Disaster' Averted

An Israeli official told media that a "major disaster was narrowly avoided", alleging that the suspected attacker had attempted to take control of the aircraft with the intention of crashing it.

According to the report, additional flight crew, assisted by Israeli passengers, managed to restrain the pilot and prevent him from taking control of the aircraft.

The intervention was crucial as the aircraft was carrying a large number of Israeli passengers on its Dubai-to-Tel Aviv route.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also held consultations after the emergency. His office said the situation was under control and that measures were being taken to safely bring the Israeli passengers back to Israel.

All Passengers Safe

The Flydubai aircraft eventually landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Flydubai confirmed that the flight had landed safely and that passengers were accounted for, while saying its teams were working with the relevant authorities.

Reports put the number of people onboard at between roughly 150 and 180, with varying figures appearing as the incident unfolded. All passengers were reported safe.

The investigation is now focused on what happened inside the cockpit, why the confrontation began, whether the Omani pilot deliberately attempted to take control of the aircraft, and whether the incident had a terrorist motive.

For now, Israeli authorities are treating the terror-attack possibility as a serious line of investigation, but the motive has not been conclusively established.

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