Flydubai halts Israel flights during FZ1073 investigation

On Wednesday, FlyDubai flight FZ1073 experienced a horrifying incident when one pilot stabbed and attempted to crash the aircraft while en route from the United Arab Emirates to Israel. The 170 passengers, mostly Israelis, feared for their lives as the plane rapidly descended from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet within a minute. The Saudi Arabian authorities intervened, and the aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, about an hour later.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the captain and first officer had been fighting in the cockpit, with one of them attempting to crash the aircraft. Passengers and crew members managed to break into the cockpit, overpowering the attacker and regaining control of the plane, preventing a catastrophic disaster. The cockpit door on all aircraft is locked during flight, a security measure implemented following the 9/11 attacks.

The stabbing victim, the pilot who was stabbed, cooperated with the air traffic control and allowed the passengers and crew to overpower the attacker. Both pilots sustained injuries requiring hospital treatment. The Israeli authorities arrested one of the pilots following the incident.

This unsettling event, which occurred just days before the anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza, has raised concerns about airline security and the potential threat posed by pilots. Aviation experts suggest that the plane managed to land safely due to the quick action of the passengers and crew, despite the extreme descent that left most of the rudder ripped off the tail.