Israeli officials have said that the Flydubai flight incident, which forced the aircraft to land in Saudi Arabia instead of Tel Aviv, may have been a “terrorist attack.”
Reuters reported on Wednesday, September 30, that the incident occurred after an altercation between the flight’s two pilots.
During the confrontation, the co-pilot attacked the pilot and attempted to crash the aircraft, but passengers intervened and prevented him from doing so.
The aircraft changed course following the incident and landed in Saudi Arabia. The alleged attacker was arrested after the plane landed.
Israeli officials said an initial assessment indicated that the incident may have been a deliberate “terrorist” attack and that an investigation was underway.
All passengers, most of whom were reportedly Israeli, safely disembarked after the plane landed.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, described the incident as “a highly severe security incident.”
He said Saudi authorities would question the Flydubai co-pilot, who was traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Israel.
