Flight carrying Israelis diverted after stabbing
A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after issuing emergency signals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said one pilot stabbed the other and tried to crash the aircraft.
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pilot → carry → aircraft
The co-pilot, whom an Israeli official identified as an Omani national, was arrested after the plane landed, Netanyahu said.
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Netanyahu → identify → national
Israel’s Ministry of Transport said there would be a joint investigation of the incident with the defence establishment.
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Ministry → say → establishment
The nationality of the arrested individual has not been independently verified.
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nationality → arrest → individual
The emergency came a day after Netanyahu warned of possible attacks in the run-up to Israel’s October 27 election.
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Netanyahu → come → election
Here is how events unfolded:
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events → unfold → ?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has indications that its “enemies” could try to carry out attacks before the October 27 election.
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enemies → say → election
He does not specify the nature of the threat.
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He → specify → threat
Later that night at about 20:30 GMT, opposition leader Yair Lapid receives a security briefing from Netanyahu.
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Lapid → receive → Netanyahu
After the meeting, Lapid says there is “no reason to put the public in a panic” and says that security threats should be handled professionally rather than used in election messaging.
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threats → say → messaging
Flydubai flight FZ1073 departs Dubai for Tel Aviv, climbing to 34,000 feet (more than 10,000 metres), according to Flightradar24.
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flight → depart → Flightradar24
Flightradar24 data shows that the aircraft starts with a deep descent, is then followed by a sharp climb and a second steep descent.
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aircraft → show → climb
By about 05:33 GMT, it is flying at roughly 15,000 feet (4,572 metres).
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it → fly → feet
The aircraft begins transmitting the emergency transponder code 7700, the internationally agreed-upon code for a general emergency, as it is flying near the border between Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
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it → begin → Arabia
The transponder changes to 7500, signalling unlawful interference; after that, the aircraft turns west, briefly enters Jordanian airspace and then turns back towards Saudi Arabia.
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aircraft → change → Arabia
Air traffic controllers in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia get a distress call from FZ1073 asking for an emergency landing.
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controllers → get → landing
Saudi authorities give the time as 08:44 local time.
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authorities → give → time
As the aircraft approaches Tabuk, its transponder switches back to 7700, indicating a general emergency.
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transponder → approach → emergency
According to local media, the plane FZ1073 lands safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk.
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plane → accord → Tabuk
Flightradar24 receives the aircraft’s final tracking signal at 06:58GMT at Tabuk airport.
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Flightradar24 → receive → airport
Flydubai said the flight experienced an “incident” and was diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely, adding that all passengers were safe and accounted for.
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passengers → say → Tabuk
The UAE has not publicly commented on the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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UAE → comment → incident
Later on September 30, Netanyahu said in a video message that the co-pilot stabbed the pilot and apparently attempted to crash the plane.
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pilot → say → plane
He added that passengers and a crew member entered the cockpit and restrained the co-pilot.
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passengers → add → pilot
It is not clear what the exact time was when Netanyahu recorded or released the video.
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Netanyahu → record → video
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid rejects attempts to connect the Flydubai incident to a security briefing he received from Netanyahu.
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he → reject → Netanyahu
“Let me make this clear.
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this → let → ?
Nothing even resembling this morning’s plane incident appeared in the security briefing with the prime minister last night.
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Nothing → resemble → minister
Nothing similar, nothing reminiscent of it, not even a hint,” he said on X.
Lapid accused government-aligned voices of trying to use the incident for political purposes.
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Lapid → say → purposes
Later that afternoon, footage from international news agencies showed a Flydubai rescue flight, carrying passengers from FZ1073, arriving at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv at 15:34 GMT.
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flight → show → GMT
The Aporia
