Investigators probe why co-pilot stabbed captain of flyDubai flight to Israel
Por Associated Press — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Middle East World Middle East Investigators probe why co-pilot stabbed captain of flyDubai flight to Israel
The suspect, an Omani citizen, is under arrest and Saudi authorities are working with countries, including Israel, to determine a motive
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Associated Press Published: 8:45pm, 1 Oct 2026 Updated: 9:08pm, 1 Oct 2026
Investigators worked on Thursday to determine why an Omani pilot stabbed the captain of a flight to Israel, causing the plane to plummet dangerously before others on board landed it in Saudi Arabia.
Passengers on the FlyDubai plane – which was carrying 174 people, mostly Israelis, from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv – have described how the bloodied Indian captain managed to open the cockpit door to let them in before they grappled with the co-pilot and stabilised a descent so sharp that the plane’s rudder was torn away.
“We felt helpless, suspended in mid-air, and I didn’t know who to turn to. But it was all instinct to survive,” Asaf Rajuan, who was among those who intervened, said in a statement shared by Israel’s presidency.
A regional official briefed on the investigation said the suspect, an Omani citizen, was under arrest and confirmed that Saudi authorities were working with countries, including Israel, to try to determine a motive. He said the UAE, the United States and Oman also were involved.
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