The cockpit nightmare began when co‑pilot Ahmed Hassan, 34, pulled a knife from his jacket and lunged at pilot Khalid Al‑Nouri, 42, before passengers could intervene. Blood spattered the cabin, and one passenger shouted, "You saved the plane," as the aircraft pitched downward.
Flight FZ 1073 transmitted the international emergency code 7700, then switched to 7500 after the plane plummeted 17,400 feet over the Red Sea in two minutes, according to flight‑tracking data from Flightradar24.
A group of 180 passengers, including several off‑duty pilots, seized the controls and guided the jet to an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where ground crews secured the cabin and checked for injuries.
Flydubai released a statement describing the event as "unfortunate" and confirming that all passengers were safe. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said the situation was under control and pledged to repatriate Israeli passengers.
The Israeli Security Ministry is treating the assault as a potential terrorist attack and has ordered an inquiry, while the FAA and Saudi Civil Aviation Authority are reviewing the flight data for compliance with aviation safety protocols.