Flydubai flight makes emergency landing after mid-air cockpit attack

On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, a Flydubai flight en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, following a violent incident in the cockpit. The pilot, of Indian nationality, was stabbed by the co-pilot, causing the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly. Three Israeli passengers—Yaniv Hayun, Tzvika Manes, and Asaf Razuan—managed to enter the cockpit, neutralize the assailant, and stabilize the plane, saving the 174 people on board.

The UAE Attorney General has launched an investigation into the incident, coordinating with the General Civil Aviation Authority to determine if the attack was an act of terrorism. Meanwhile, diplomatic tensions emerged as Saudi Arabia, which lacks formal relations with Israel, reportedly rejected multiple Israeli requests to send military aircraft to retrieve the passengers from the site of the emergency landing.

The Israeli President intends to nominate the three passengers, along with the doctor who provided medical assistance to the pilot, for a Civilian Bravery Award. Authorities are continuing their probe into the motives behind the co-pilot's actions, while the injured pilot remains under medical care.