Updated September 30, 2026 at 6:57 AM AKDT
TEL AVIV, Israel, and RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a pilot stabbed a fellow pilot on a flydubai flight headed to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, attempting to crash the plane of mostly Israeli passengers, in what Israel is calling an attempted terrorist attack.
The prime minister said one passenger described how he and a crew member broke into the cockpit and subdued the pilot who carried out the stabbing, and another crew member managed to stabilize the plane before it went down.
"I salute these heroes who showed exceptional resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster," Netanyahu said.
Flight FZ 1073 traveling from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Tel Aviv landed safely at an airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with no reported injuries to passengers.
Netanyahu said the Saudi authorities arrested the suspected attacker and are questioning him. Saudi Arabia has not commented on that.
A statement from Cluster2, the Saudi company that manages the country's airports, said the flight's captain and first officer, the co-pilot, were being treated for injuries in a hospital. "The relevant authorities are conducting the necessary investigations into the incident," the airport said.
Flydubai airline said in a statement that an "altercation occurred in the flight deck," saying the motive was unknown and subject to a formal investigation.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called it "an attempted jihadist terrorist attack."
The airline has sent aircraft to bring the passengers from Saudi Arabia to Tel Aviv.
This is a developing story that may be updated.
Itay Stern contributed reporting from Tel Aviv.
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