Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in an address to the nation late yesterday afternoon that it was an Israeli passenger who helped break into the cockpit stop an Omani terrorist copilot from hijacking an Flydubai plane carrying more than 100 Israelis from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
“Citizens of Israel,
This morning, there was a serious security incident on a flight from Dubai to Israel. Almost all the passengers on the flight were Israelis. During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the second pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board.
I spoke with one of the Israeli passengers. He told me that the plane went into a spin and began to dive. He told me that, somehow or other, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and that together they neutralized the stabbing pilot while he was trying to sabotage the plane’s systems. Another flight crew on board entered the cockpit and managed to stabilize the plane.
I salute these heroes, who displayed exceptional resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives. They prevented a huge disaster.
The plane landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. All passengers are out of danger. The stabbing pilot was arrested and is currently being interrogated by the Saudi authorities.
AFSI Insight
The attempted attack aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight is a stark reminder that Israelis can face deadly threats even thousands of feet in the air. Only Hashem and the courage and quick action of Israeli passengers and crew helped prevent what Israeli officials say could have been a catastrophic disaster. AFSI salutes those who acted decisively to protect their fellow passengers and underscores the continuing need for vigilance against terrorism wherever Israelis are targeted. As Ben Gurion famously said ” In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles”.