One of the crew members allegedly tried to crash the plane following a knife attack in the cockpit
Published 30 Sep, 2026 09:35
| Updated 30 Sep, 2026 09:49
A FlyDubai passenger liner carrying hundreds of people to Tel Aviv went into a death-dive over Saudi Arabia, before landing in Tabuk in northern Saudi Arabia, following a ‘violent incident’ onboard, according to FlyDubai.
The Boeing 737 was reportedly carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children. About two hours into the flight, the aircraft transmitted emergency signals, including a code indicating possible hijacking, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. The plane went into a steep dive, losing some 4,500 meters in altitude in a minute, according to tracking data
Israel scrambled fighter jets, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent security consultations.
FlyDubai later confirmed that the aircraft landed at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia and that all passengers were safe. It said a replacement aircraft would take them onward to Israel.
Widely conflicting reports as to the chain of events on board and the identity of the pilots are currently circulating.
Follow RT for live updates as more details emerge.
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30 September 2026
09:37 GMT
Unconfirmed media reports have claimed that the “violent incident” cited by FlyDubai as the reason for the diversion involved a brawl in the cockpit between the two pilots operating the flight.
Preliminary reports suggest that one of the pilots attacked the other with a knife and tried to take control of the plane and crash it into the ground.
More
-
30 September 2026
09:37 GMT
Unconfirmed media reports have claimed that the “violent incident” cited by FlyDubai as the reason for the diversion involved a brawl in the cockpit between the two pilots operating the flight.
Preliminary reports suggest that one of the pilots attacked the other with a knife and tried to take control of the plane and crash it into the ground.
More
