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Flydubai pilot under scrutiny after violent cockpit confrontation (Img: X)
Tel Aviv: A violent confrontation inside the cockpit of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv has triggered an investigation. Authorities are now examining whether one of the pilots attempted to seize control of the Boeing 737, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Flydubai flight FZ1073 diverted to Tabuk on Wednesday after transmitting emergency signals, including one indicating possible unlawful interference. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers were reported safe. Israeli authorities initially feared a possible hijacking, although the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office later said the incident was not believed to be a hijacking.
The latest developments have put the actions and intentions of one of the pilots under renewed scrutiny.
An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that investigators were still trying to determine what the pilot intended to do. “Whether he intended to hijack the plane and divert it to Israel, crash it, or carry out a 9/11-style attack. What is clear is that he wanted to hijack the aircraft."
An Israeli source said the identity of the pilot who carried out the stabbing was still being investigated, including whether the pilot was from the Middle East.
Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official told Channel 12 that “the most severe disaster was prevented" on the flight from the UAE to Israel that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
According to the unnamed official, the co-pilot is being investigated amid growing indications that he tried to take control of the aircraft in order to crash it.
The latest claims emerged after passengers described hearing screams and witnessing a violent struggle near the cockpit.
One passenger reported that a knife was involved and that there was blood inside the aircraft. The accounts have added to questions surrounding what happened between the pilots before the aircraft diverted to Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft initially transmitted a general emergency signal and later sent another signal indicating possible unlawful interference before eventually landing in Tabuk.
The emergency transmissions prompted Israel to scramble fighter jets amid initial fears that the aircraft had been hijacked.
Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft experienced an “incident" while en route to Tel Aviv and diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely.
The airline said all passengers were safe and accounted for and that it was working with the relevant authorities.
The precise sequence of events inside the cockpit remains unclear. Investigators are examining what triggered the confrontation, who initiated the violence and whether the pilot under scrutiny intended to take control of the aircraft.
While Israeli officials have described the incident as potentially serious, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has said it was not believed to be a hijacking. The investigation is expected to establish what happened aboard FZ1073 and why the aircraft was forced to divert to Saudi Arabia.
