After a plane en route to Tel Aviv from Dubai sent an emergency signal before landing in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk, Israel is treating the incident as a suspected terror attack, while working on bringing the around 180 passengers home in an air force plane.
A senior Israeli official told Channel 12 that “the most severe disaster was prevented” and that authorities are investigating growing indications that the copilot tried to stab his colleague with a knife and take over the plane in order to crash it. Initial reports suggest that passengers intervened to subdue the pilot, while a second flight crew that was on board helped to land the plane.
“Following concerns over an aviation incident, Prime Minister Netanyahu held consultations on the matter and is monitoring developments. The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel,” the Prime Minister’s Office stated.
On Wednesday morning, a flydubai flight sent out a “squawk code” of 7700, which is an international emergency signal while turning around in the northern Saudi desert before disappearing from flight radars. Israeli media reported later that the plane suddenly plunged about 4,200 meters (14,000) feet within one minute, causing it to disappear from the radars. The Israeli Air Force scrambled jets toward the plane; however, it landed safely in a Saudi Arabian airport.
First reports had suggested that a violent altercation between the pilots was the reason for the incident, without any indications of a terror attack. However, after the plane landed, first testimonies from passengers, as well as pictures showing some of them with blood-soaked clothes began to emerge. Speaking with i24 News, an Israeli source said that one pilot stabbed the other while trying to hijack the plane. “A struggle begins on