Kumar Bahukhandi
US President Donald Trump with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump said he spoke to Netanyahu following the September 30, 2026 Flydubai cockpit incident involving an Israel-bound flight. File Photo
US President says motive remains uncertain after violent cockpit incident forced Israel-bound aircraft to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia
Key Highlights
- Trump says he discussed the Flydubai incident at length with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
- Flydubai flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when a violent cockpit incident unfolded
- Aircraft descended sharply before eventually landing safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
- Passengers and crew helped subdue the alleged attacker
- Authorities have yet to establish the motive; Flydubai says the circumstances remain under formal investigation
Washington: US President Donald Trump said he had spoken at length with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the dramatic mid-air emergency aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, while cautioning that the motive behind the cockpit violence had yet to be established.
Flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after a violent confrontation inside the cockpit. Flight data showed the aircraft losing thousands of feet of altitude during the emergency before stabilising and eventually landing safely. Passengers and crew members intervened and helped bring the situation under control.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said his conversation with Netanyahu covered what was known about the incident, but acknowledged that investigators had not yet determined what motivated the alleged attacker.
“I did speak to Bibi Netanyahu at length about this event,” Trump said, before suggesting different possible explanations for the co-pilot’s actions. He subsequently acknowledged that information about an intention to deliberately crash the aircraft had not been established conclusively.
Netanyahu separately said that one pilot had stabbed the other and appeared to have attempted to bring down the aircraft. However, the precise sequence of events and motive remain under investigation, and Flydubai has urged against premature conclusions.
The incident triggered an immediate aviation and security response. The aircraft transmitted emergency codes associated with a general emergency and unlawful interference before making its diversion to Saudi Arabia. All passengers were reported safe following the landing, while the injured pilots received medical treatment.
The episode has also drawn attention to the intervention of passengers and crew members who entered the cockpit and helped restrain the alleged attacker. Netanyahu publicly praised those involved, while investigations continue into how the confrontation began and whether it had any wider security dimension.
Flydubai has since temporarily suspended flights to and from Israel while authorities work to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
