A flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft is pictured on the tarmac after landing at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in Lod on September 30, 2026. – AFP photo
JERUSALEM (Oct 1): Israeli leaders said on Wednesday that a “jihadist” pilot had aimed to crash a flydubai plane with mostly Israeli passengers, who overpowered him and prevented a “major disaster”.
“During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message.
He said he spoke to an Israeli passenger who broke into the cockpit as the plane started to plummet and fought the pilot who was trying to bring down the aircraft.
