Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the mid-air incident on flydubai flight FZ1073 an ‘extremely serious security incident’ after the co-pilot allegedly tried to crash the plane.

The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv Boeing 737 was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia on September 30 after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the pilot and attempted to bring the aircraft down.

The jet went into a sharp descent of about 14,000 feet and squawked 7500, the transponder code for unlawful interference, before the crew regained control.

The co-pilot, reported to be an Omani national, was arrested after landing. The stabbed pilot was reported to be an Indian national, identified by Israel’s i24 News as Captain Smit Machchhar.

A rescue flight later carried around 180 passengers to Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, according to reports.

Why it matters: an attempted cockpit takeover on a commercial jet raises urgent questions about crew screening across the region’s airlines.