On September 30, a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced an emergency when one pilot stabbed another. A passenger named Miriam described hearing screams and seeing blood as the pilot was injured.
The aircraft temporarily lost control but was eventually taken over by other pilots on board who executed an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, rescuing all 174 passengers and crew members.
Israeli television channels reported that the two pilots involved were a Russian national and a Ukrainian national. The incident occurred after one pilot attempted to cause a sharp descent from an altitude of 30,000 feet, reducing the plane’s altitude by half before sending an emergency signal. A security source confirmed the situation was not a hijacking but rather a flight crew altercation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz held urgent consultations following the incident.
