The Embassy of Israel in Chisinau says Israel is assessing an incident aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv as an alleged attempt at a jihadist terrorist attack.
According to the embassy, the incident was directed at Israeli passengers on board and could also have been aimed at relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
The diplomatic mission said one of the pilots allegedly intended to crash the aircraft while passengers were on board. The case is currently being investigated by the relevant authorities.
The embassy also said that Israeli passengers intervened after realizing what was happening. According to the mission, they entered the cockpit, confronted and restrained the pilot and helped restore control of the aircraft.
The Emirati co-pilot and other members of the crew also played an important role in managing the situation, according to the embassy.
The Israeli mission said the incident should also be viewed in the context of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, established under the Abraham Accords.
“The actions of the passengers and crew demonstrated cooperation between Israelis and Emiratis in the face of a common threat,” the embassy said.
“Terrorism will not break the ties between Israel and the UAE, nor will it stop the progress toward a more peaceful, safer and more prosperous region,” the Embassy of Israel in Chisinau said.
The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday, September 30, aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
According to the information cited by the embassy, the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to take control of the aircraft. Despite being injured, the captain reportedly managed to call for assistance from the crew and passengers to restrain the co-pilot.
A second team of pilots reportedly on board then took control of the aircraft, which was diverted and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The circumstances of the incident remain under investigation.