A family on a return trip home from a holiday in Singapore and Thailand found themselves in the middle of an aviation crisis on a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv. Within two minutes of the plane’s doors opening, the aircraft descended more than 17,000 feet after one pilot was stabbed by a fellow crew member who tried to seize control.
Passenger Adam Polovincik, sitting in aisle 13, kept calm for his six‑year‑old son and three‑year‑old daughter, describing how he hugged them tightly as the plane nosedived. "I stayed cool for them, telling them everything would be fine, even though the plane had crashed," he told BBC Newshour.
The scene was chaotic. According to Polovincik, the cabin filled with blood, screams, and the sudden realization that the aircraft was under attack. Men and women in the cockpit fell to the floor, and the runway crew had to act swiftly.
Panic was widespread, but passengers voice the growing sense of solidarity. A passenger named Yaniv Hayun later recounted in a video, “Pulling the attacker out of the cockpit and pinning him down.” Two other pilots from the flight, including an Indian Capt. Smit Machchhar, entered the cockpit, took over the controls, and diverted the aircraft safely to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Polovincik praised the pilots and fellow passengers as “true heroes.” He said the Israelis onboard were treated compassionately by the Saudi crew: “Water, food, coffee and sweets were offered, even though Israel and Saudi Arabia have no diplomatic ties.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was too early to link the incident to Iran, noting the attacker had received “Islamist radical indoctrination.” The suspect has been arrested in Saudi Arabia and will likely be transferred to the UAE to face charges.
Once the diversion was complete, passengers were flown to Tel Aviv on another flight. They were welcomed at the airport by crowds cheering and waving Israeli flags, a stark contrast to the ordeal endured earlier.
Polovincik reflected on the experience as “a terrible ending to an amazing family trip,” and said the emotional aftermath would take time to process, yet he marvelled that the attacker’s actions were counterproductive and ultimately thwarted by bravery.
