Passengers Subdue Attacker Who Stabbed Pilot on Flydubai Flight to Israel

Wed Sep 30 2026 23:42:53 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Eight passengers helped escort an armed attacker out of the cockpit after he stabbed the other pilot, stopping a potential crash on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

During a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, an attacker stabbed the restrained pilot and attempted to disable the aircraft. Passengers seized the assailant, placing him in a chokehold and extricating him from the cockpit. One passenger, recalling air‑crash procedures, briefly maneuvered the controls and helped a second pilot restore flight stability. The plane landed safely at Tabuk before being redirected to Israel, where the attacker was seized. Officials have called the episode an attempted jihadist terror attack and lauded the passengers and crew as heroes.

Passengers subdue attacker who stabbed pilot on Flydubai flight to Israel

A passenger on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv described how he and fellow travelers seized an attacker who stabbed the other pilot and tried to disable the aircraft.

The plane reportedly dropped 17,000 feet in less than two minutes after the cockpit was scrambled. The attacker was immediately subdued after a seated passenger placed him in a chokehold and forced him out of the cockpit.

One of the passengers told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had radio communication skills from watching air‑crash documentaries, which helped him assume control once the pilot was incapacitated.

The attacker has been arrested by Saudi authorities and a second, good‑faith pilot, who had been in the passenger cabin, drilled the plane for the emergency landing in Tabuk before it was redirected to Ben Gurion Airport.

Israeli officials described the incident as an “attempted jihadist terror attack” and praised the stunned crew and passengers as heroes for preventing a catastrophic crash.