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Correction: We inititally reported the pilot has died; that was incorrect.
UDPATE: The nationality of the attacker co-pilot is in dispute at this time; there are reports he is of Middle Eastern ethnicity.
Ukrainian co-pilot attacks Russian captain on board Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX in cockpit brawl at 30,000 feet. The Ukrainian co-pilot attacked the Russian captain with a knife on board a Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The incident caused a hijacking alert and led to an emergency diversion to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Flight FZ1073, carrying around 180 passengers — most of them Israelis — took off from Dubai International Airport early Wednesday morning. About an hour into the flight, the Boeing 737 MAX transmitted a General Emergency code (Squawk 7700) before briefly switching to an Unlawful Interference code (Squawk 7500).
The Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets in response. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an urgent security consultation with senior defense officials as reports emerged of a violent incident unfolding in the cockpit.
The co-pilot, a Ukrainian national, attacked the captain, a Russian national, with a knife — causing the aircraft to plunge approximately 4,000 meters in an uncontrolled descent before passengers and crew forced their way into the cockpit and overpowered the attacker. One pilot lost consciousness during the struggle.
The aircraft issued a distress signal and diverted to Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Both pilots were removed from the aircraft and placed in Saudi custody for questioning. All passengers were safe.
Flydubai confirmed that flight FZ1073 experienced an incident en route and landed safely at Tabuk, saying more details would follow. According to Al Jazeera, Türkiye Today, and Flightradar24 tracking data, the incident unfolded over roughly one hour before the diversion.
The incident is a stark reminder of how the Russia-Ukraine conflict is now embedded in daily civilian life worldwide — including in international cockpits where Russian and Ukrainian nationals continue working side by side. What happens to the co-pilot in Saudi custody remains to be seen.
https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2105237460254920714
