Kenyan cabin crew members were among those responding to a high-stakes mid-air plane incident in Saudi Arabia, where one pilot stabbed the other and allegedly tried to crash a Boeing 737 plane on Wednesday morning.The crew, who were flying more than 170 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Flydubai flight FZ1073, were involved in attempts to keep two individuals, said to be the captain and first officer, alive following the scuffle.Kenyans.co.ke has analysed videos shared online and established that two members of the cabin crew aiding those injured were speaking Kiswahili, with both appearing to use expressions commonly associated with Kenyan speakers.A spot check by Kenyans.co.ke found that Flydubai, which has regular scheduled flights operating to both Nairobi (JKIA) and Mombasa (MBA), employs cabin crew members from across its international workforce.Reports indicate the plane that took off from Dubai International Airport in the UAE at 6:05am Kenyan time reported an emergency about two and a half hours into the flight, before alerting authorities to a possible hijacking.According to reporting from the BBC and accounts from witnesses reviewed by this publication, the first officer allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to take control of the plane.In the videos reviewed by Kenyans.co.ke, a man said to be part of the cabin crew is heard telling the other, “Cheki kama anaongea” (Check if he is speaking), referring to the injured pilot who had been lying on his back just outside the cockpit.The 1:58-second video captures moments when the cabin crew and other passengers attempt to keep the pilot and the first officer stable and tend to their injuries.In the chaos, the man who had earlier asked the other cabin crew member to check if the pilot was speaking then turns to a passenger who was helping and asks for a pillow.He then tells the other cabin crew member, “Muwekee huku chini” (Place the pillow below him).Part of the video captures a clear image of one of the cabin crew members, who is black, tall, and wearing a shirt with blue and white stripes. He urges those recording to stop recording.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the stabbing occurred and said a passenger and crew member broke into the cockpit and overpowered the pilot, who had carried out the stabbing.Crew members and passengers reportedly restrained the attacker, and the plane made an emergency landing safely at Tabuk Airport, with no injuries reported among the passengers.The publication has not independently established the nationality of all the crew members seen in the videos, and the company has yet to issue any statements on the nationality of the crew.Available data shows the company operates with a cabin crew team of 4 to 6 members per flight.
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