On Wednesday, the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 used a crash axe to attempt a “terrorist attack” against the captain during a flight bound for Israel, according to the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general. The incident occurred after the co-pilot had been banned from flying by Oman due to concerns about extremist views but was later hired by flydubai. Passengers and crew intervened, subduing the co-pilot and preventing a crash that would have endangered the 182 people on board. Israel’s prime minister suggested the attack stemmed from Islamist radicalization, though no evidence was provided.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-03,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 30, 2026, a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv signalled an emergency over Jordanian airspace, turning around shortly after and landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. The plane, carrying approximately 150 passengers mostly Israeli citizens, transmitted distress signals indicating possible unlawful interference but was later found safe with no hijacking involved. Instead, the situation stemmed from a physical altercation between the pilots. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent consultations and the Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets in response to initial fears of a hijack attempt.
Written for “Israel Bound Flight Diverts Due to Co…” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 282 other(s) covering the same event.
The co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 used a crash axe to attempt to carry out a “terrorist attack” during the flight, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said on Saturday, according to a state news agency.
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general → use → agency
The UAE statement cited the prosecutor general as saying the co-pilot also tried to take control of the plane during Wednesday’s attack on the Israel-bound flight.
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pilot → cite → flight
Passengers and crew intervened to subdue the co-pilot and stabilise the plane.
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Passengers → intervene → plane
Officials said the co-pilot’s actions nearly crashed the flight with 182 people on board by sending it into a sharp plunge.
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actions → say → plunge
A crash axe is typically kept in the cockpit for use during emergencies.
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axe → keep → emergencies
The co-pilot had been barred from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views, a person familiar with the matter said.
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person → bar → matter
He was then hired by the United Arab Emirates-based airline flydubai, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
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person → hire → investigation
It was not immediately clear to what extent he was vetted when he was hired.
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he → vet → ?
Oman’s barring of him was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
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barring → report → Journal
The co-pilot was born in the UAE and his mother is Syrian, according to a regional official with knowledge of the investigation.
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mother → bear → investigation
How the co-pilot managed to be working in the cockpit on Wednesday morning is a central question for investigators.
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managed → manage → investigators
Israel says it has agreements with foreign carriers to keep pilots out of its airspace who come from nations with which it does not maintain diplomatic relations.
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it → say → relations
Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations.
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Israel → have → relations
The official confirmed that the co-pilot worked with Oman’s national airline but was removed from flying because of concerns that he showed signs of extremist views.
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he → confirm → views
He was later moved to an administrative job at Oman Air, the official said.
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official → move → Air
Security agencies from four regional countries were working to establish the co-pilot’s motives, aided by the US and other western governments, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the investigation.
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official → work → investigation
UAE senior diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash on Friday called the attack a “dangerous terrorist act”.
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Gargash → call → attack
The incident is a test for the UAE government, which has earned a reputation for effective measures against extremist activities but has also bristled in the past over criticism of security lapses.
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which → earn → lapses
Little else was immediately known about the co-pilot’s background.
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Little → know → background
His Instagram account was active until the day of the flight and then deleted.
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account → delete → flight
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Friday said the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalisation” but provided no evidence.
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pilot → say → evidence
The captain, who was badly wounded, has said he used his remaining energy while being stabbed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing people who had noticed loud noises to come in, tackle the co-pilot and stabilise the plane.
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who → wound → plane
It made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
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It → make → Arabia
Both the captain and co-pilot were taken to the UAE as it leads the investigation.
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it → take → investigation
Officials have said a number of countries including Israel are participating.
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number → say → Israel
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