‘Grabbed the controls and started pulling’: Passenger, captain hailed as heroes

Melanie Swan, Rozina Sabur and Robert Mendick
Oct 1, 2026 – 8.08am

A passenger on board a Flydubai plane described how he wrestled an alleged terrorist out of the cockpit before taking control of the jet, averting a possible September 11, style attack on Israel.

The man, wearing a blood-soaked T-shirt, was embraced by Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, as he arrived back in Tel Aviv following the possible hijacking, which took place in Saudi airspace.

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The Telegraph London

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• Aviation
• Benjamin Netanyahu
• Israel

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