Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) on Wednesday evening following the foiled hijacking of a commercial airliner, according to The Zioneer. Passengers aboard the flight subdued the pilot after he attempted to crash the plane, in what is being described as an unprecedented act of civilian heroism.
Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) on Wednesday evening, following the thwarted hijacking of a commercial airliner, according to reports from Israeli media. The call, reported by the Merkaz news platform at 19:49 Jerusalem time, came after Netanyahu held a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, as The Zioneer reported at 19:18.
The incident unfolded earlier Wednesday when Flydubai flight FZ1073, carrying Israeli passengers, experienced a near-catastrophic descent. According to journalist Amichai Stein, the plane dropped from approximately 9,411 meters to 5,105 meters in just 29 seconds between 08:22:07 and 08:22:36 Israel time. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, where its passengers were later transferred.
As the story developed, reports from multiple outlets indicated that passengers subdued the pilot after he attempted to hijack and crash the plane. The cockpit rudder was torn off during the descent, Dean Fisher of N12 reported. Magen David Adom teams at Ben Gurion Airport said no passengers required urgent medical treatment upon arrival in Israel, including two who had been bleeding.
The Zioneer reported at 19:08 that one of the passengers who participated in subduing the hijacker is an Israeli fighter pilot. The Times of Israel described the episode as an unprecedented instance of passengers thwarting a pilot's attempt to crash a commercial airliner.
The investigation remains ongoing. The identity and motive of the pilot have not been officially disclosed.
9 developments
- StrongNetanyahu, after call with UAE president, vows to 'bring order' on security
- DevelopingKremlin: Putin speaks with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed by phone
- StrongUAE has not acknowledged Netanyahu's meeting with Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi
- StrongNetanyahu speaks with Trump, receives update on US moves in the Gulf
Source and signal
- Open-source intake