A Flydubai jet travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv reportedly went into a nosedive on Wednesday after the pilot was stabbed by his co-pilot at 34,000 ft. Passengers and crew on board the flight are said to have intervened, wrestling the suspected hijacker from the cockpit and subduing him.
The Metro reported that the plane plummeted 17,000 ft in two minutes during the incident. Two off-duty pilots, including one described as British, were then reportedly able to take control and safely land the aircraft. The stabbed pilot has been named as Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national.
Israeli officials, speaking anonymously to the Guardian, assessed the incident as a terror attack, identifying the alleged knifeman as Omani. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised the passengers as "lions" and Captain Machchhar as a "true hero" of "extraordinary bravery". He has also instructed authorities to "ramp up security" on flights to Israel, regardless of the operating airline.