A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv ended in an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on September 30, 2026. Israeli officials described the cause as an attempted hijacking by one of the pilots, which led to a mid-air altercation.[1] Israeli officials and several passengers say people on board helped bring the situation under control.
This is a fast-moving story, and the picture is still incomplete. Some of the most serious claims come from Israeli officials and passengers and haven’t been independently confirmed. This article separates what is reported from what is still unknown.
What Happened Aboard Flight FZ1073
The aircraft was a Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating as flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport. It ultimately landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.[2] It carried 174 passengers, including 27 children.[3] The diversion came after the plane sent out emergency signals that alarmed Israeli authorities.
Israeli officials say a pilot attacked the other pilot and then tried to take control of the aircraft. An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that one pilot stabbed another and then tried to take control of the plane.[4] Another Israeli official said a “major disaster was narrowly avoided” amid fears the pilot meant to crash the plane.[1] These are official characterizations, not the result of a finished investigation.
The Timeline: Emergency Codes and a Sudden Descent
The flight left Dubai at 7:05 a.m. and was due in Tel Aviv around 9:30 a.m. About an hour and a half in, as it entered Jordanian airspace, it transmitted the international emergency code 7700.[2] Roughly seven minutes later it switched to 7500, the code used to signal unlawful interference, which in plain terms means a hijacking.[5] Flight-tracking data is the main public record of those moments.
The plane also dropped sharply. Flightradar24 data showed it plunging nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds before the first emergency signal, according to Reuters.[6] One aviation outlet described a fall from 34,000 feet to about 19,000 feet in roughly 90 seconds. Reports differ on the exact profile, so the flight data recorder will matter here. The aircraft landed at Tabuk airport at 9:45 a.m.[7]
Who Helped Subdue the Suspect
Accounts of the rescue vary in detail. An Israeli official said additional flight crew, aided by Israelis on board, managed to subdue the pilot and bring him under control.[1] One outlet reported that two off-duty pilots traveling as passengers, helped by cabin crew and other passengers, forced their way into the cockpit and overpowered the first officer.[5] That report doesn’t attribute the claim to a named official source, so treat it with some caution.
Israeli public figures have praised the passengers. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Israelis on board helped subdue the copilot, who apparently tried to take over the plane.[8] One passenger said an Israeli dentist on board treated the injured pilot.[1] Flydubai’s own wording is different. The airline said on-duty Flydubai crew traveling aboard secured the aircraft, diverted it and landed safely.[6] Both accounts may be partly true, and only the investigation can sort out who did what.
What Flydubai and Saudi Authorities Have Said
Flydubai’s first statements were restrained. It said FZ1073 was involved in an incident during the flight, landed safely in Tabuk, and that all passengers were safe and accounted for.[2] The airline did not confirm the reported stabbing and said the underlying reasons and motives remained under formal investigation.[6] It also urged all parties to avoid premature speculation.[8]
Saudi aviation officials confirmed the injuries. The operator Cluster2 said the captain and co-pilot were both injured and taken to hospital.[8] Tabuk’s airport declared a state of emergency, and the plane landed safely just over an hour after the distress call.[8] The suspect was reportedly handed to Saudi authorities for questioning, with Israeli authorities also involved.[2]
Israel’s Security Response
For about an hour, Israel believed a hijacked airliner might be heading its way. The Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz convened an urgent security meeting.[5] Several Israeli agencies, including Shin Bet, Mossad, the military and the transportation ministry, are involved in the investigation.[8]
The language from Israel has hardened over the day. Israeli authorities now consider the incident a terrorist attack and believe the co-pilot was the attacker. They are also examining whether he may have intended to take his own life.[3] Netanyahu’s remarks, as relayed by CNN, said the pilot appears to have tried to crash the plane. Even so, no authority has offered a motive for the alleged attempt.[8]
