On 30 September 2026, a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv came within seconds of catastrophe. The co-pilot stabbed the captain mid-flight and attempted to crash the aircraft, forcing it into a 17,000 foot dive in under two minutes. It was only the actions of the wounded captain, who despite being seriously injured managed to open the cockpit door, combined with the bravery of passengers, crew and an off-duty British pilot on board, that prevented the loss of 174 lives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it an attempted terror attack. The Israeli defence minister described it as an attempted jihadist attack. FlyDubai suspended all flights to and from Israel while the investigation continues.
It is, by any measure, a deeply alarming incident. And it raises a question that the aviation
industry has so far failed to answer.
The weapon was a knife. What protection did anyone on board have?
Cockpits on commercial aircraft are routinely equipped with heat resistant gloves. That has been standard practice for years. Yet cabin crew, who are expected to respond to emergencies, manage distressed passengers and in this case physically intervene to stop a potentially catastrophic attack, have no equivalent protection against a bladed weapon.
The passengers who rushed the cockpit did so with their bare hands. The wounded captain fought back with his bare hands. The off-duty British pilot who pulled the aircraft out of its dive and landed it safely did so in the immediate aftermath of a knife attack, in a cockpit covered in blood.
These people were extraordinarily brave. But bravery should not be the only line of defence.
Airport security is not infallible
There is an assumption in aviation that tight security screening eliminates the knife threat on board an aircraft. The FlyDubai incident demonstrates exactly why that assumption is dangerous. The attacker in this case was the co-pilot himself, a person who passed every security check, held every required certification and had access to the cockpit as a matter of course.
Beyond this incident, the history of aviation security shows that weapons do get through. Broken glass, improvised blades, sharpened objects disguised as everyday items. The principle has always been to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. On this occasion, the worst very nearly happened.
What other industries already do
Cut resistant gloves are protective gloves with a Kevlar or Spectra lining that prevents a blade from cutting through to the skin. They are already standard equipment for UK police forces, the NHS and security companies. They are not currently standard equipment for airline cabin crew, despite the clear and growing risk of knife attacks on aircraft.
At Bladerunner, we have been supplying cut resistant gloves and anti-slash clothing to UK police forces, the Ministry of Defence, the NHS, schools and security companies for over a decade. These are people who face a daily risk of encountering a bladed weapon. They are equipped accordingly.
View Our Range of Cut Resistant Gloves
View Our Range of Anti-Slash Clothing
The level of threat on a commercial aircraft during an incident like this is comparable. Yet cabin crew have no equivalent equipment available to them. Our cut resistant gloves are thin, flexible and can be worn or stored without getting in the way. They do not require specialist training to use. They meet Level 5 protection under
EN388:2016, the highest level of blade cut resistance achievable under the European
standard. They are the kind of practical, low cost precaution that could make a meaningful
difference in the seconds that matter.
Level 5 Protection Under EN38:2016
What should change
Every commercial aircraft should carry at least one pair of cut resistant gloves as standard emergency equipment, accessible to cabin crew. This is not a complex ask. It does not require legislative change or significant cost. It requires the industry to recognise that the threat environment has changed and that practical, proven protective equipment already exists.
The aviation industry has always adapted its safety protocols in response to new threats. Reinforced cockpit doors came after 9/11. Liquid restrictions came after the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot. The FlyDubai incident should prompt a similarly practical response.
A straightforward question for the industry
Cockpits carry heat resistant gloves as standard. The time has surely come for cabin crew to have access to at least one pair of cut resistant gloves as well. The passengers on FlyDubai flight FZ 1073 were lucky. The wounded captain was lucky. The 174 people on board were lucky. Luck is not a safety protocol.
If you work in aviation security and want to understand what options are available, please get in touch with the team at Bladerunner.tv.