Israel PM hails Indian pilot wounded in diverted flydubai flight

TEL AVIV, Israel — During a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, a copilot attempted to stab a captain, intending to crash the aircraft carrying 174 passengers. However, passengers immediately intervened in the cockpit, wrestling with the attacker as the plane plummeted sharply. The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

The passengers from the flight were later transported to Israel on another flight, where they were cheered by onlookers. Israel's emergency services reported treating three passengers with minor injuries. The motive behind the attack remained unclear, leading Israel to deploy warplanes in response to the incident. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu interviewed on CNN stated that the attacker, an Omani national, was being interrogated in Saudi Arabia, where he was subsequently arrested.

Aviation experts expressed surprise that the plane did not crash following such an extreme descent, as most of the rudder was torn off the tail. Passenger Naama Bershadski recounted thinking, "We're going to die," during the harrowing incident.