Israel’s national security minister on Wednesday described the pilot involved in an altercation aboard an Israel-bound flydubai flight as a “terrorist” who wanted to crash the aircraft and kill Israelis, after the plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, AFP reported.
A passenger’s mother separately told AFP that her daughter, who was aboard the flight, said one pilot tried to kill the other with a knife before the aircraft landed at Tabuk airport.
Also read: Flydubai flight lands in Saudi Arabia after fight in cockpit; injured pilot hospitalised
“She said one pilot tried to kill the other pilot with a knife. They heard shouting, 'Help, help!' And one woman with three children went to the (cockpit) and saw a lot of blood,” Yasmin Abukasis was quoted as saying.
The flydubai flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with around 180 passengers when it turned around over Saudi Arabia and landed at Tabuk following the altercation between the pilots. The airport said the pilots were injured and hospitalised.
Abukasis said her daughter Miryam had called her after landing and told her that everyone “thought they were going to die”. Miryam was travelling to attend a service for her brother, who was killed in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
Emergency signals raise hijack fears
The aircraft first transmitted squawk code 7700, the international emergency signal, before sending code 7500, which indicates a hijacking or unlawful interference, according to flight-tracking data cited by Israeli media.
The 7500 signal prompted Israeli Air Force fighter jets to move towards the aircraft, according to Israeli security sources cited in reports. A hijacking was reportedly ruled out after the aircraft landed.
An Israeli official told Channel 12 that a “severe disaster” had been prevented.
Israeli media reported that passengers intervened during the altercation and that a second team of pilots, dressed in civilian clothes, later landed the aircraft.
Pilots injured after cockpit altercation
The Israeli military said IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir held an assessment with senior officers, including Israeli Air Force chief Maj Gen Omer Tischler, Operations Directorate chief Maj Gen Itzik Cohen and Intelligence Directorate chief Maj Gen Shlomi Binder.
The incident came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were indications that Israel’s enemies could attempt attacks ahead of the elections.
Netanyahu warned against such action and said Israel’s “long arm” would reach them anywhere and at any time.
