A plane takes off as a flydubai aircraft sits on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport in Dubai on Wednesday. (AP)
Reported by:
Cherry Meigh Timbol
News Content Editor
Published September 30, 2026
A Flydubai passenger flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a serious incident involving the aircraft’s pilots, triggering emergency signals and an immediate security response in Israel.
Flydubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport, landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The airline said all passengers were safe and accounted for.
The incident initially generated fears of a hijacking after the aircraft transmitted an emergency code associated with unlawful interference. Israeli officials subsequently said the available information indicated that the incident was not a conventional hijacking, describing it instead as a physical confrontation between the pilots.
However, as investigators gathered more information later Wednesday, three Israeli officials told Reuters that the co-pilot was believed to have stabbed the captain and that authorities were considering the possibility of an attempted terrorist attack. That later assessment remained subject to investigation.
Emergency Signals Trigger Alarm
Flight-tracking data showed that FZ1073 transmitted the international emergency code 7700 while traveling toward Israel.
Several minutes later, the aircraft transmitted 7500, a code used to indicate unlawful interference, including a possible hijacking. The aircraft subsequently transmitted the general emergency signal again before diverting toward Saudi Arabia.
Flightradar24 data also showed a dramatic change in the aircraft’s altitude. Reuters reported that the plane rapidly descended by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal was transmitted.
The aircraft then changed course and headed toward Tabuk, where it landed safely.
Reports Point to Fight Inside Cockpit
The first official explanation centered on a physical altercation between the pilots.
An Israeli official speaking to Reuters said the emergency signals were transmitted after the pilots became involved in a fight. The Israeli prime minister’s office initially said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking.
Newsmax reported that the aircraft’s diversion prompted Israeli authorities to conduct security consultations as officials sought to determine what had happened aboard the plane.
Flydubai itself initially provided limited information, confirming only that the aircraft had experienced an “incident” while en route to Tel Aviv and had diverted safely to Tabuk.
The airline said it was working with the relevant authorities and that all passengers were safe.
Later Reports Raise More Serious Questions
The circumstances became more serious later in the day.
Three Israeli officials told Reuters that the co-pilot was believed to have stabbed the captain during the incident. They said cabin crew entered the cockpit and took control of the aircraft.
The officials characterized the incident as a possible attempted terrorist attack, although the investigation was still developing.
That represents a significant change from the initial assessment that the episode was not a hijacking.
Because the investigation was ongoing, the precise sequence of events and the motive of the person involved had not been independently established at the time of the latest reports.
Passengers Describe Chaos
Passengers reportedly heard shouting and became aware of a confrontation toward the front of the aircraft.
One passenger’s family member told Reuters that she had heard from her daughter that a man with a knife had forced a pilot to the floor. The account described blood in the cockpit and passengers becoming aware that something serious was happening.
Other reports said passengers and crew helped secure the aircraft after the confrontation.
The reports have not established independently all of the details described by individual passengers, and authorities have not yet released a complete account of what happened inside the cockpit.
Israeli Security Officials Respond
The incident prompted an immediate response from Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations after the aircraft was diverted. Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir also conducted a situational assessment with the commander of the Israeli Air Force and other military officials.
Israeli authorities were particularly concerned because the flight was carrying passengers traveling to Israel at a time of heightened regional tensions.
The aircraft ultimately landed safely in Saudi Arabia, avoiding the possibility of an emergency landing inside Israel.
Saudi Arabia Becomes the Unexpected Destination
The aircraft’s diversion to Tabuk created an unusual situation.
Saudi Arabia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, yet the kingdom accepted the emergency landing of a commercial aircraft carrying passengers bound for Tel Aviv.
The safe landing meant that Saudi authorities could secure the aircraft and assist the passengers while Israeli officials worked through diplomatic and security channels to arrange their return.
The incident is not the first time a Flydubai flight traveling between Dubai and Tel Aviv has made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Reuters noted that another Flydubai flight landed in Riyadh in September 2025 because of a medical emergency.
Both Pilots Hospitalized
Later reporting indicated that both the captain and first officer were injured and taken to a hospital after the aircraft landed.
Tabuk Airport said the two pilots received medical treatment following the incident. Their injuries and the circumstances that caused them remained under investigation.
The condition of the passengers was considerably clearer: Flydubai confirmed that everyone aboard the aircraft was safe and accounted for.
What Remains Unknown
Several important questions remain unanswered.
Authorities have not publicly established the motive behind the confrontation. It is also not yet clear why the cockpit dispute escalated to violence, exactly how the aircraft lost altitude so rapidly, or why the unlawful-interference emergency code was transmitted.
Most importantly, the competing descriptions of the event remain significant.
The initial Israeli assessment was that the incident was not a hijacking, while later Israeli officials told Reuters that the co-pilot may have attacked the captain as part of an attempted terrorist attack.
Those later allegations have not yet been presented as a final investigative conclusion.
🧩 Bottom Line:
A Flydubai flight carrying passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv made a dramatic emergency diversion to Saudi Arabia after an incident involving its pilots.
The aircraft transmitted emergency signals, including the 7500 code associated with unlawful interference, and experienced a rapid loss of altitude before safely landing at Tabuk.
Initial Israeli officials said the incident was not believed to be a hijacking. Later, however, Israeli officials told Reuters that the co-pilot was believed to have stabbed the captain and that authorities were investigating a possible attempted terrorist attack.
With the investigation still underway, the precise motive and sequence of events remain unresolved. What is confirmed is that the aircraft landed safely and the passengers were accounted for.
SOURCES: NEWSMAX – Israel: ‘Major Disaster’ Avoided in Suspected Attempted Hijacking
REUTERS – Israeli officials say diverted flydubai incident may be attempted ‘terror attack’
