More than 170 passengers have arrived safely in Israel after a FlyDubai airliner went into a death-dive over Saudi Arabia following an alleged attempted hijacking on board.
The Boeing 737 was reportedly carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children. About two hours into the flight, the aircraft transmitted emergency signals, including a code indicating possible hijacking, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. The plane went into a steep dive, losing some 4,500 meters in altitude in a minute, according to tracking data.
Israel scrambled fighter jets, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent security consultations.
After an apparent struggle in which passengers regained control of the aircraft, the 737 landed at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, before all passengers boarded a replacement aircraft bound for Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was waiting to meet them.
According to interviews with the passengers, the plane's first officer stabbed the pilot and attempted to crash the aircraft. They said that a group of three Israeli passengers subdued the first officer, pulled the plane out of its dive, and handed control back to the wounded pilot.
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30 September 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised an Indian pilot for his “extraordinary bravery” in preventing the hijacking of a Flydubai flight and helping save more than 100 passengers. The pilot was injured during the incident and has been hospitalized in the Saudi city of Tabuk. According to the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, he is receiving medical attention. His condition has been reported as stable. The embassy said it was awaiting a full update on his health.
With all of the passengers back in Israel and Netanyahu preparing to discuss the alleged hijacking attempt with Trump, we're pausing our live updates for the evening. Stick with RT for more on this story as it develops.
Netanyahu has already discussed the alleged hijacking attempt with Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed, and will discuss the incident with US President Donald Trump in the next hour, Channel 12 has reported.
Israeli security officials do not believe that Iran or any other state actors were involved in the incident, the network added.
Less than 24 hours ago, Netanyahu claimed that “our enemies will try to attack us” in the runup to Israel’s elections at the end of October. Netanyahu, who is currently meeting passengers at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, is narrowly trailing opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot in opinion polls.
A 51-year old passenger suffered upper body trauma and was taken to hospital after arriving in Israel, the country’s Magen David Adom ambulance service has said. His injuries are not believed to be serious.
RT’s Charlotte Dubenskij spoke to a passenger who recalled the moment passengers retook control of the diving plane.
He says the stabbed pilot “managed to open the door” to the cockpit, allowing “three heroes” to enter and “capture” the knife-wielding co-pilot.
One of the “heroes” in question told Israel’s Channel 12 that it took almost 25 minutes to subdue the alleged hijacker, with the three Israelis using corded headphones to tie him up.
Matan Schlichter tells RT that his father was sitting in the plane’s second row during the attack. “He saw the door open, and he saw the blood, and he saw the terrorist,” Schlichter said, adding that “he tried to do his best” to stop the knifeman.
Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered Israeli authorities to “prepare for additional potential threats” and according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
The FlyDubai rescue flight has landed at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv carrying the passengers from the Dubai flight. Many of their relatives have been waiting for them at the terminal for hours, ever since the first reports of the incident broke out. RT’s Charlotte Dubenskij is at the scene.
RT also spoke with some of the relatives of the passengers.
Several media outlets have identified the captain of the FlyDubai flight as Indian national Smit Machchhar. According to the Hindustan Times, he was attacked by his copilot and, despite being injured, managed to alert the crew and passengers and helped prevent the plane from crashing.
A FlyDubai rescue flight has taken off from Saudi Arabia to Ben Gurion International Airport, according to the Israel Airports Authority. A spokeswoman for Ben Gurion Airport noted that all the passengers of the original Dubai-Tel Aviv flight were on board the replacement plane.
FlyDubai has confirmed that an altercation on the flight deck led to the diversion of the plane. A spokesperson for the airline noted that the aircraft was ultimately secured by an on-duty FlyDubai crew traveling on the flight.
The airline said the incident has no impact on other scheduled operations across its network, adding that the reasons and motives behind the incident remain unknown and are currently being investigated.
“We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts,” the spokesperson said.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has described Wednesday’s incident on the FlyDubai flight as an “attempted terrorist attack,” but has not provided or confirmed any additional details.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said evidence indicates that one of the FlyDubai pilots had indeed stabbed the other pilot and attempted to crash the aircraft with its passengers aboard.
In his first public response to the incident, Netanyahu said he spoke to an Israeli passenger and a crew member that broke into the cockpit and stopped the attacker, while another crew member stabilized the plane.
He added that the Saudi authorities are questioning the suspect, and that Israel is coordinating the passengers’ safe return.
RT’s Charlotte Dubenskij goes over the latest updates on the story.
The incident onboard the FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv was “surprising” given the rigorous security protocols employed on such routes, former pilot and aviation expert Cyrille de Lattre has told RT.
Media speculation continues on the nationalities of the pilots involved, as well as the identities of those who ultimately helped land the plane.
Israel Hayom has reported that the off-duty pilots who were traveling as passengers were a Russian and a Ukrainian, initially misidentified as the original captain and co-pilot who endangered the flight.
Other reports have instead suggested that the two were individuals from New Zealand and South Africa.
Israel should intensify its military campaigns across the region in response to the FlyDubai incident, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has said.
“Thank God and the heroic passengers, but Israel’s security doctrine must be taken to the next level,” Ben Gvir was quoted as saying by the Times of Israel. “We must not stop and must continue until achieving total victory in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza and Judea and Samaria,” he added, referring to the biblical name for the West Bank.
The mother of one of the FlyDubai passengers has shared her daughter's account of the incident, describing how the plane seemed to suddenly lose control and how people started screaming. She said several Israelis ran to the cockpit to stop the attacker, while another two pilots who were on the plane eventually took control of the aircraft.
One of the pilots, who is believed to be an Omani national and allegedly responsible for the attack, had worked for FlyDubai for less than a year, according to Israeli broadcaster N12.
Israeli Minister of Transportation Miri Regev has now demanded that FlyDubai stop all flights to Israel and has called for an investigation into whether Dubai violated its aviation agreement with West Jerusalem. The deal prohibits pilots from countries that do not have normalized diplomatic ties with Israel from operating flights to the country.
Israeli officials are now reportedly also examining whether the Omani pilot held dual citizenship, which would have allowed him to board the flight, N12 said.
An unconfirmed video, apparently filmed from inside the aircraft, has circulated on social media, allegedly showing the two pilots of the FlyDubai flight covered in blood. The passengers can be seen trying to provide aid to the two men.
WARNING: DISTURBING FOOTAGE
Russia’s General Consulate in Dubai has dismissed reports that one of the pilots was Russian, stating that there were no Russian citizens on board the flight.
According to the latest but still unconfirmed media reports, the pilots are believed to be of Arab and Indian descent.
Some outlets have also claimed that one of the pilots has died from his wounds.
Flight tracking data shows the plane made a sudden descent after the co-pilot allegedly forced it into a dive after attacking the captain. The airliner dropped a whopping 4,500 meters in nearly half a minute, at a speed of over 900km/h.
The rapid drop appeared to have damaged the plane’s tail, according to unconfirmed photos said to have been taken after it managed to land safely in Tabuk.
One of the passengers of the flight shared his testimony from the plane, describing how the altercation started and how the passengers intervened.
Despite initially stating that there was no hijacking attempt, the Israeli authorities are now reportedly treating the incident as terrorism, according to Channel 12, citing an initial investigation and testimony from passengers.
The broadcaster reported that the co-pilot repeatedly stabbed the captain before crew members and passengers broke into the cockpit and subdued him. Israeli officials are reportedly investigating whether the suspect intended to seize control of the aircraft and crash it.
FlyDubai has not confirmed these details or described the incident as terrorism, saying only that the flight experienced an “incident” and that it is cooperating with the relevant authorities.
One passenger interviewed by Israeli media described screaming and blood in the cockpit during the flight, saying one pilot was stabbed and that Israeli passengers helped bring the situation under control.
The nationalities and identities of the two pilots remain unclear, with conflicting reports emerging following the incident.
Initial reports suggested that the captain was Russian and the co-pilot Ukrainian, with some outlets claiming the latter had initiated the cockpit altercation and attempted to crash the aircraft.
Later reports, however, identified the captain as a UAE national and the co-pilot as Omani.
FlyDubai and government authorities have not confirmed the identities or nationalities of either pilot.
Unconfirmed media reports have claimed that the “violent incident” cited by FlyDubai as the reason for the diversion involved a brawl in the cockpit between the two pilots operating the flight.
Preliminary reports suggest that one of the pilots attacked the other with a knife and tried to take control of the plane and crash it into the ground.