Israeli PM says too early to say if Iran involved in Dubai-Tel Aviv flight attack

What happened

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it is too early to say whether Iran had any involvement in an attack on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. He told Fox News the pilot who is alleged to have carried out the attack is being questioned in Saudi Arabia and is expected to be sent to the United Arab Emirates. He also told CNN that Israel had no warning or advance intelligence.

Flight FZ1073 left Dubai at 7.05am local time (03:05 GMT) with 174 people on board. About two hours later the plane dropped sharply. Flight tracking data showed it signalling an emergency code, then a hijacking code, before it began a manual descent. Flydubai says an altercation occurred in the flight deck and that on-duty crew travelling on the flight landed the plane safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.

Eyewitnesses and Netanyahu say one pilot stabbed the other. Netanyahu says the attacker apparently tried to crash the aircraft. The stabbed captain, an Indian national, is in hospital in a stable condition. Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have both called him a hero. Passengers say he opened the cockpit door, which let others in to overpower the attacker.

One passenger says he put the attacker in a chokehold before others helped pin him down, and that the attacker was tied up with zip ties and headphones. Passengers say a relief pilot then took control and levelled the plane. The passengers, almost all Israeli, were flown on to Tel Aviv later on Wednesday and were met by cheering crowds.

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz has called it an attempted jihadist terror attack, without giving details. US President Donald Trump says he spoke with Netanyahu and that the attacker may have been a terrorist or may have had other reasons. Flydubai is suspending all flights to and from Israel during the investigation.

Key facts

• Flydubai flight FZ1073 left Dubai for Tel Aviv on Wednesday with 174 people on board.
• A pilot is alleged to have stabbed the other pilot mid-flight, and the plane dropped sharply.
• Passengers and crew overpowered the attacker and the plane landed safely at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
• The stabbed captain is in hospital in a stable condition.
• The alleged attacker was arrested in Saudi Arabia and is expected to be transferred to the UAE, according to Netanyahu.
• Flydubai is suspending all flights to and from Israel during the investigation.

What you need to know

• Flydubai says all its flights to and from Israel are suspended while the investigation continues.
• Anyone booked on a flydubai flight to or from Israel should check with the airline.

What happens next

Investigations are under way, with the alleged attacker being questioned in Saudi Arabia and expected to be moved to the UAE. Flydubai says it is supporting the official investigation.

Still to be confirmed

• Whether Iran or any other party was involved, which Netanyahu says it is too early to say.
• The motive for the attack, with officials offering differing descriptions.
• The exact size of the drop in altitude, as figures in accounts differ.
• Exactly who flew the plane to land, as accounts from passengers and the airline differ in detail.