An incident on board a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv has caused serious diplomatic tension. On 30 September, during the flight, the co-pilot attacked the captain, which could have led to a plane crash. Thanks to the swift reaction of the passengers, who stormed the cockpit and subdued the attacker, a tragedy was averted. The aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
There were 174 passengers and eight crew members on board, all of whom were unharmed. The Saudi Arabian authorities immediately detained the suspect and began questioning him.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump made a high-profile statement, warning that if Iran’s involvement in this incident were to be confirmed, the country would face a ‘powerful strike’. However, he did not present any concrete evidence to support this claim. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also commented on the matter, noting that it was too early to draw conclusions about any Iranian involvement, but mentioned that the co-pilot may have been subjected to Islamist ‘indoctrination’.
The authorities in the United Arab Emirates have launched their own investigation to determine whether the incident had a terrorist motive, and have called on the media and the public to refrain from speculation until the investigation is complete. This situation remains in the headlines, raising numerous questions and concerns regarding aviation safety and international politics.