Netanyahu says pilot arrested after stabbing fellow pilot and apparently trying to crash Israel-bound plane – latest

Wed 30 Sep 2026 10.44 EDT First published on Wed 30 Sep 2026 07.37 EDT

A commercial plane travelling from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Israel has been forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia , after an apparent brawl between its pilots prompted distress signals that briefly raised fears of an attempted hijacking. The flydubai flight was over Jordan when it diverted to Saudi Arabia, transmitting three emergency signals, one of which indicated a possible unlawful interference.

The plane dipped dramatically during the reported fight, descending about 16,000ft in just two minutes. Israeli officials scrambled fighter jets, fearful of a possible hijacking attempt on a plane containing dozens of Israelis, and the plane landed at Tabuk airport in north-western Saudi Arabia.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one of the flydubai pilots stabbed his fellow pilot and intended to crash the plane. He added that one of the passengers on the flight managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and together they “neutralised” the attacking pilot.

Netanyahu described it as “an extremely severe security incident”. Other officials, including defence minister Israel Katz, have called it an attempted terrorist attack. Netanyahu thanked the passengers and crew who helped to stop the attack, saying they “showed exceptional resourcefulness and courage”.

Copyright for this text belongs to The Guardian.