Co-pilot attacks captain on FlyDubai jet, passengers force emergency landing in Saudi Arabia

A FlyDubai flight en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv was disrupted when the co-pilot stabbed the captain in an apparent attempt to bring down the aircraft. The assault caused the plane to descend rapidly, but passengers and crew members stormed the cockpit, wrestled the attacker and enabled the remaining pilots to stabilize the jet. The aircraft diverted and landed safely in Saudi Arabia, where emergency services treated three passengers for minor injuries.

The passengers were later moved to a different flight that arrived in Israel later that evening to a cheering crowd. Israeli authorities have not determined a motive for the incident, which occurred days before the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.