A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv turned into a nightmare when the captain was stabbed inside the cockpit and the plane began a steep dive. Passengers heard screaming and saw blood as the aircraft squawked emergency code 7500.
Israel scrambled fighter jets as Israeli passengers rushed the cockpit, restrained the alleged attacker, a co-pilot reported to be an Omani national, and helped two British pilots on board bring the plane down safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
In this Middle East update, I break down what happened on flight FZ1073, the heroic Indian captain who saved the plane, the Israeli passenger who pulled the controls to stop the dive, and the big questions Israel's security agencies must now answer. How was this co-pilot cleared to fly Israelis into Tel Aviv? How did a weapon reach the cockpit? Was this a 9/11 style plot? And what does Saudi Arabia's role reveal about the future of Israel Saudi peace and the Abraham Accords?
00:00 The plane that began to fall
00:15 Shalom from Israel
00:38 Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv
01:14 Screams and blood inside the cabin
03:23 Israel scrambles fighter jets
04:16 The Indian captain who saved the plane
05:32 The Israeli passenger who stormed the cockpit
06:48 Why you want Israelis on your flight
07:23 Was this a 9/11 style plot?
08:59 Who is the Omani co-pilot?
10:12 Security failures and suspended flights
11:27 Why the plane landed in Saudi Arabia
12:21 Saudis refused an Israeli rescue plane
13:37 Why Israel Saudi peace matters now
15:46 Thank you, Captain