Netanyahu says Saudi authorities have arrested and are questioning Flydubai pilot

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saudi authorities have arrested the pilot accused of attacking his co-pilot aboard a flight that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, and that the pilot is being questioned, according to TASS.

Netanyahu said Israel is maintaining constant communication with the relevant Saudi authorities as the investigation into the incident continues, though he did not disclose further details about the questioning process or what information investigators had obtained so far.

The arrest follows the mid-flight attack, in which one pilot stabbed the other, forcing the aircraft to divert and land at an airport in Saudi Arabia. Both pilots were wounded in the incident.

Ongoing cooperation

Netanyahu's confirmation of Israeli-Saudi coordination on the matter comes as officials from both countries continue to piece together the circumstances of the attack, including whether it was a deliberate attempt to bring down the aircraft. Saudi authorities had not issued their own public statement on the arrest, according to the available reporting.

The incident has drawn significant attention given the diplomatic sensitivities involved, with Israel and Saudi Arabia not maintaining full normalized diplomatic relations, even as security and intelligence coordination between the two countries has reportedly continued on specific matters.