DUBAI — A co-pilot aboard a Flydubai plane stabbed the captain on Wednesday morning in what authorities believe was an attempt to crash the flight, which carried more than 170 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
The aircraft, Flydubai flight FZ1073, plunged to half its altitude within a minute as it approached Jordanian airspace. During the struggle, the captain unlocked the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and overpower the attacker. The co-pilot was reportedly trying to damage the plane's controls.
The aircraft emitted an emergency distress signal during the incident. Another pilot on board took control of the plane and landed it safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The co-pilot, who sustained injuries, is now in Saudi custody.
The United Arab Emirates initiated an investigation into the incident. Saudi authorities are questioning the co-pilot. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would monitor the investigation and "possibly participate."
Israel characterized the event as a terrorist attack and an attempt to crash the aircraft, noting that the majority of passengers were Israeli.
The incident underscores a vulnerability in commercial aviation that post-9/11 security measures did not fully address. The International Civil Aviation Organization overhauled global aviation rules after the September 2001 attacks, introducing bulletproof cockpit doors, mandatory screening of checked baggage, comprehensive personnel vetting and enhanced airport identity checks. Those measures focused on preventing unauthorized external access to flight decks.
In 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525's first officer, Andreas Lubitz, deliberately crashed an Airbus A320 into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board, after locking the captain out of the cockpit. Following that incident, some airlines implemented protocols requiring a crew member to remain in the cockpit at all times when one pilot leaves.
U.S. pilots and flight attendants underwent more vigorous criminal history record checks and security threat assessments after 9/11, though such screening standards vary globally.
