Headline Roundup • September 30th, 2026
Pilot Stabs Copilot on Dubai-Tel Aviv Flight, Israel Investigating as Terrorism
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A Tel Aviv-bound flight from Dubai made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday after a violent incident that Israel is investigating as a terror attack.
The Details: An unnamed Israeli official reportedly told Channel 12 that on Flydubai flight FZ1073, one pilot stabbed the other and tried to use the passenger plane in a terror attack. The plane plunged 17,000 feet as crew members and passengers worked together to apprehend the violent pilot. Several videos and photos have emerged online, showing the assailed pilot and other passengers bloodied. An unnamed Israeli official told CNN (Lean Left) that the attacker was Omani. An unnamed Israeli official and a "second regional official" told Associated Press (Left) that a fight broke out between the two pilots.
Key Quotes: The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said, "The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel." Flydubai said, "The aircraft was successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport (TUU). All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for."
How The Media Covered It: The story was widely covered as news broke on Tuesday. Live coverage from BBC News (Center) included an analysis that described the Israeli government's suspicions that it may have been a terror attack as "expected," with "tightly contested elections just weeks away."
This is a developing story and may be updated. Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.
Featured Coverage of this Story
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AP Photo/Ariel Schalit
A pilot on a flight from the United Arab Emirates stabbed another pilot and then apparently tried to crash the aircraft carrying dozens of Israelis on Wednesday, Israel's prime minister said. Passengers and crew subdued the attacker, and the plane made a safe emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The FlyDubai flight to Israel issued an emergency alert and abruptly descended thousands of feet (meters). The episode prompted Israel to scramble warplanes amid concerns about a possible hijacking.
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.
Graphic video shows the captain of a Tel Aviv-bound FlyDubai flight drenched in blood and clinging to life after his co-pilot allegedly stabbed him in what Israeli officials believe was an attempted terror attack.
The captain, who was reportedly knifed by his co-pilot at cruising altitude, is seen wearing an oxygen mask and lying prone in the galley of the aircraft next to a blood-smeared wall, according to the shocking clip.
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