UPDATE ON FLYDUBAI ATTACK
• the Flydubai flight was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
• The aircraft transmitted an emergency signal and the 7500 code for unlawful interference or hijacking.
• The flight changed course over Saudi Arabia.
• The attacker is reported to be an Omani and the co pilot.
• According to passenger testimony and security assessments cited, the co pilot repeatedly stabbed the captain.
• The co pilot then took control of the aircraft and sent it into a rapid descent of nearly 20,000 feet in just over 1 minute.
• Crew members and passengers forced their way into the cockpit and subdued him.
• Multiple people were reportedly injured during the struggle.
• The captain was described as critically injured.
• The aircraft suffered damage to its flight controls and a wing.
• The plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia.
• Nearly 180 people were aboard.
• Israeli authorities are treating the incident as a suspected terrorist attack.
• The attacker’s motive and any organizational affiliation remain unknown .
• The passengers are awaiting arrangements to return to Israel.
• El Al suspended scheduled UAE flights in March 2026 because of security concerns and had not resumed them.
Photos of the jet appear to show it is missing the rudder. Yikes!
Crew members and passengers forced their way into the cockpit and subdued him.
In case you’re wondering (as I did) how that happened...
Senior flight attendants have an emergency access code to get through a locked cockpit door. I( guess that won’t work if the copilot noticed and denied the entry.