The captain, Smit Machchhar, was injured multiple times and collapsed. He then opened the cockpit door, and passengers went in and stopped the plane from descending, according to one account. Machchhar is in a hospital in Abu Dhabi. On Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a 10-minute video of him. "I was trying to save my own life, but I knew I was not going to let others die," Machchhar said.

The copilot is described as an Omani pilot and had not been publicly identified as of the latest reporting. His intent is disputed. One outlet calls the incident a terror attack meant to hijack the plane and kill everyone aboard. Others say only that he allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to bring the plane down, and that investigators are examining whether terrorism was involved.

Israeli officials have raised suspicions of an "inside job" at Dubai International Airport. Questions center on how the copilot got past facial recognition and metal detectors, which typically ban blades longer than six centimeters. They also ask how he met the agreement requiring that no pilots come from countries that do not recognize Israel.

flydubai has suspended all services to Israel. El Al cancelled its repatriation flights, and one account says the UAE revoked its landing permits, though another says no reason was given. That left Israelis stranded in the UAE, about 1,700 of them daily according to The Times of Israel's reporting.

Movement resumed on Friday. Arkia flight IZ604 left Dubai for Tel Aviv, which the airport confirmed to AFP. It was the first flight on the route since the suspension. Arkia has operated one flight and plans at least five more on Saturday, and Israir is preparing 8 to 10 weekly flights. El Al, Arkia and Israir were scheduled to begin one-way repatriation flights, with fares including carry-on luggage of $249 on El Al, $279 on Arkia and $299 on Israir. Israel's Transportation Ministry also asked on Wednesday night to increase Etihad Airways' Abu Dhabi-to-Tel Aviv capacity, and one report says it agreed on Friday to let repatriation flights resume.

Travel agents say bookings are shifting. Mark Feldman, CEO of Ziontours Jerusalem, said many passengers booked on Emirates with flydubai connections want to reroute through European cities such as Rome, Budapest, Athens or Larnaca. Gil Hahn, CEO of Eshet Tours, said customers increasingly prefer Israeli airlines despite the higher cost.