A pilot stabbed another pilot and apparently attempted to crash a FlyDubai flight carrying dozens of Israelis on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Axar.az reports, citing AP, that passengers and crew intervened to subdue the attacker after the plane issued a distress alert and abruptly descended thousands of feet. The aircraft later made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu said Saudi authorities had arrested one of the pilots. The captain and first officer were injured and taken to hospital.
The flight, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, descended from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in about a minute before making an erratic turn near the Jordanian border and landing in Tabuk about an hour later, according to Flightradar24.
“I salute these heroes who showed exceptional resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster,” Netanyahu said.
FlyDubai confirmed that flight FZ 1073, bound for Ben Gurion Airport, had experienced an incident and landed safely in Tabuk. The airline said it was working with the relevant authorities.
Israeli authorities scrambled fighter jets after the incident raised concerns about a possible hijacking. The circumstances of the incident remain under investigation.