Saudi Arabia rejects Israeli requests to send aircraft to retrieve passengers

Saudi Arabia rejected multiple requests from Israel to send aircraft into the kingdom to retrieve passengers following a violent mid-air altercation aboard a commercial flight diverted to northwestern Saudi territory, according to a Saudi source speaking to AFP.

The diplomatic refusal highlights underlying regional sensitivities even as authorities across multiple nations launched formal investigations into the cockpit emergency. According to the Saudi source, Israeli officials initially asked to send two or three military warplanes direct to Tabuk airport, followed by a request to send a commercial aircraft operated by El Al. Both requests were turned down, with messages communicated through the United Arab Emirates rather than directly with Israeli authorities. The Saudi source emphasized that the kingdom fulfilled its international obligation by assisting all travelers regardless of nationality.

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The sequence began when a Boeing 737 operating as flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced a catastrophic security breach over Jordanian airspace. Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft plummeting dramatically from nearly thirty-four thousand feet to below seventeen thousand feet in a matter of seconds. Israeli officials stated that the co-pilot stabbed the captain, Smit Machchhar, and attempted to jam the flight controls to force a crash. Wounded and bleeding on the flight deck floor, Captain Machchhar managed to trigger the door release, allowing passengers and crew members to rush into the cockpit.

Passengers described a chaotic struggle for survival as the aircraft shook violently. Yaniv Hayun, an Israeli passenger who helped restrain the attacker, recounted entering the flight deck alongside others to overpower the co-pilot. Additional off-duty flydubai pilots traveling as passengers stepped forward to assist in flying the aircraft. The crew transmitted emergency codes indicating unlawful interference before diverting toward Saudi airspace. The plane ultimately touched down safely at Tabuk airport, where emergency services transported the injured pilots to a local hospital.

Israeli leadership responded with stark warnings and divergent assessments of the attacker's motive. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded the passengers as heroes who prevented a major disaster, while Defense Minister Israel Katz characterized the episode as an attempted jihadist terrorist attack. Other senior ministers called for severe reprisals. Conversely, Flydubai issued statements urging caution and emphasizing that the underlying reasons and motives behind the cockpit altercation remained unknown while formal investigations proceeded. The United Arab Emirates attorney general ordered an immediate probe, noting that UAE judicial authorities retained jurisdiction because the aircraft was registered and flagged in the UAE.