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Israel was prepared to shoot down FlyDubai plane after attack on captain, sources say

Israeli authorities prepared to shoot down a Flydubai flight following an in-flight cockpit attack by the co-pilot. Israeli sources told CBS News that the government stood ready to enforce a long-practiced protocol if the aircraft continued toward Ben Gurion Airport. The flight carried more than 150 Israeli citizens when the co-pilot allegedly assaulted the captain with an emergency axe. The aircraft ultimately made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia instead of reaching Israeli airspace.

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  • ✓ Israel was ready to implement a long-practiced protocol to shoot down a Flydubai plane after the captain was attacked in the cockpit.
  • ✓ The Flydubai flight was carrying more than 150 Israeli citizens.
  • ✓ The flight's co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe as the plane approached Israel en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
  • ✓ The aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
🛡️ Source Corroboration: 31 independent reporting domains (90% confidence) ⏱ Read time: ~2 min

What changed

Israeli sources confirmed that fighter jets were prepared to intercept and destroy Flydubai flight 1073 during an attempted hijacking.

Live updates

  1. Israel Prepared to Shoot Down Hijacked Flydubai Jet

    Israeli authorities prepared to shoot down a Flydubai flight following an in-flight cockpit attack by the co-pilot. Israeli sources told CBS News that the government stood ready to enforce a long-practiced protocol if the aircraft continued toward Ben Gurion Airport. The flight carried more than 150 Israeli citizens when the co-pilot allegedly assaulted the captain with an emergency axe. The aircraft ultimately made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia instead of reaching Israeli airspace.

    Why it matters

    The incident brings renewed urgency to aviation security protocols across the Middle East following concerns over potential high-casualty aerial attacks. Israeli fighter jets were positioned to intercept and investigate the aircraft inside Jordanian airspace if it crossed a predetermined threshold. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration faced a severe crisis balancing the safety of citizens on board against potential ground targets.

    What is confirmed

    • Israel was ready to implement a long-practiced protocol to shoot down a Flydubai plane after the captain was attacked in the cockpit.
    • The Flydubai flight was carrying more than 150 Israeli citizens.
    • The flight's co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe as the plane approached Israel en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
    • The aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

    Still unconfirmed

    • The co-pilot planned to crash the plane into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, a tower block in the city, or execute a 9/11-style attack.
    • Multiple security failures allowed the Flydubai pilot into the cockpit.

    What to watch next

    • Official findings from Saudi aviation authorities regarding the emergency landing
    • Further security disclosures from Israeli and US intelligence agencies on the cockpit assault
    • Updates regarding the condition of the attacked captain and the custody of the co-pilot
    Sources used for this update (40)
    1. www.timesofisrael.com — The Times of Israel | News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish ...
    2. www.aljazeera.com — Israel | Israel | Today's latest from Al Jazeera
    3. www.jpost.com — The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and...
    4. simple.wikipedia.org — Israel - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    5. en.wikipedia.org — History of Israel - Wikipedia
    6. en.wikipedia.org — Israel - Wikipedia
    7. www.worldatlas.com — Israel Maps & Facts - World Atlas
    8. www.wionews.com — Flydubai Flight 1073: How an in-flight brawl became a ... - WION
    9. WSJ — Multiple Security Failures Allowed FlyDubai Pilot Into Cockpit
    10. BBC — Flydubai co-pilot planned to crash plane into airport, reports suggest
    11. CBS News — Israel was prepared to shoot down FlyDubai plane after attack on captain, sources say
    12. www.cbsnews.com — Israel was prepared to shoot down FlyDubai plane after attack on captain, sources say
    confidence 90%
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