In brief
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has linked the Fear‑of‑the‑Plane incident to an Islamist radical programme that the attacker was believed to have completed before boarding a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The attack forced the plane to drop 17,000ft, but passengers and crew overpowered the assailant and managed a safe emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The attacker, an Omani national, is said to have intended to crash the aircraft, a motive that has steered investigations in both the United Arab Emirates and Israel. Flydubai has halted the Dubai‑Tel Aviv corridor as it reviews security protocols and the airline works with authorities to prevent a repeat of the incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told Fox News that investigations point to Islamist radical indoctrination as the driver behind the boarding‑room attack on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The assault saw a man stab a fellow pilot and attempt to seize control of a flight that dropped 17,000ft – or 5,200m – before passengers and crew subdued the attacker and expelled him from the cockpit.
Netanyahu said the attacker, an Omani national, was suspected of intending the aircraft to crash, a theory that has seeded investigations in the United Arab Emirates and Israel. The United Arab Emirates state news agency has launched its own inquiry to determine if the incident was linked to any terrorist activity or purpose. Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry, where the plane made an emergency landing, confirmed the pilot and co‑pilot had been cleared by medical teams before returning to the UAE.
During the event, passengers reported feeling as if they were on a roller‑coaster, as the 17,000ft loss of altitude occurred in less than two minutes. The attacker reportedly shouted to the crew to “kill me, kill me” after being restrained, indicating suicidal intent, Netanyahu said.
The incident has prompted a suspension of all Flydubai services between Dubai and Tel Aviv, and Israel’s Transport Ministry has lifted a directive that was issued to pause the route. Assisted air rescue flights are being organised by Israeli airlines to return stranded passengers, while the Ministry asked Etihad to increase flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. Nepal’s condemnation also comes from the fact the attacker was an Omani and Oman has yet to establish official diplomatic ties with Israel.
Earlier comments from U.S. President Donald Trump and UAE officials pointed in a broad sense toward Iran while avoiding an official blame. The public narrative, however, remains speculative as investigators have yet to confirm the exact motive or whether a wider terrorist plot was involved.
