Flydubai copilot thwarted in plan to crash plane into Tel Aviv target

A Flydubai copilot attacked his captain with an axe and intended to crash the aircraft into Tel Aviv, View from the Wing reported. The Jerusalem Post reported that the attacker planned to crash the plane into a Tel Aviv skyscraper, while View from the Wing stated the intended target was the terminal at Ben Gurion Airport. [1][4]

The copilot planned to navigate normally toward the destination to conceal his intentions until the final moments, according to View from the Wing. The badly wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and other pilots to intervene and stop the attacker, View from the Wing said. ABC News reported that the Tel Aviv-bound flight dropped thousands of feet during the attack. [1][2]

The Wall Street Journal reported that Oman had previously banned the attacker from flying due to his radical views. The Jerusalem Post added that the hijacker had researched airlines prior to planning the attack. [3][4]

On September 30, 2026, Flydubai Flight 1073 was operating a Boeing 737 MAX 8 from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport when the crew broadcast a hijacking squawk code. The aircraft diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, for an emergency landing, in an incident United Arab Emirates officials described as an attempted terrorist attack. [5]