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One pilot 'stabbed the other' and 'apparently tried to crash' Israel-bound plane, Netanyahu says
Passengers and crew subdued the attacker after the cockpit stabbing, and all 174 people aboard were reported safe, officials said.
- On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a violent cockpit incident involving a stabbing and sudden altitude loss.
- Israeli officials allege an Omani co-pilot stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, and attempted to crash the aircraft, though Flydubai describes the event as an 'altercation' between pilots.
- Flightradar24 data shows the Boeing 737 MAX 8 dropped from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet while transmitting emergency codes 7700 and 7500, before passengers and crew intervened to neutralize the attacker.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported that Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot, while injured pilots were hospitalized and Israeli warplanes briefly scrambled over hijacking fears.
- Authorities are increasing security scrutiny for Israel-bound flights, while pragmatic aviation cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia—which lack formal diplomatic ties—enabled the emergency landing.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the investigation into the Flydubai plane's emergency landing in Saudi Arabia is ongoing, suggesting that the pilot may have been manipulated by others. Netanyahu claimed the incident could be an attempted 9/11 attack, and demanded that those responsible be held accountable.
·Türkiye
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Medicine Hat News
Medicine Hat NewsCanadian TV show 'Mayday' cited by passenger who thwarted Flydubai attack
TORONTO - A passenger who helped avert a catastrophe on a FlyDubai flight after the pilot was stabbed mid-air has said he credits a Canadian-made TV show for knowing what to do.
·Niagara Falls, Canada
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The investigation was conducted by Saudi authorities.
·Belgrade, Serbia
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources1294
Leaning Left174Leaning Right212Center228Last UpdatedBias Distribution37% Center
Bias Distribution
- 37% of the sources are Center
37% Center
L 28%
C 37%
R 35%
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