A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, September 30, after an incident aboard the aircraft triggered emergency alerts and a response from Israeli authorities.
Flight FZ1073, traveling 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, and that its teams were working with the relevant authorities.
Reports of Violence in the Cockpit
Passengers described a violent confrontation at the front of the aircraft. An Israeli passenger told The Jerusalem Post that one pilot stabbed another as the plane began to plunge, and that passengers rushed forward to intervene. The passenger also described two other pilots aboard the flight entering the cockpit and helping regain control of the aircraft.
The BBC reported a passenger’s account that the crew asked for help and passengers helped tackle and restrain one of the pilots. Ynet reported that the suspected co-pilot was an Omani national. JNS, citing Israeli journalist Amit Segal, reported that Israeli authorities were treating the incident as a terrorist attack and investigating indications that the co-pilot intended to seize control and crash the plane.
Airline Response and Investigation
In its published statement, flydubai confirmed the safe landing and said all passengers were accounted for. “Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” a spokesperson said.
A subsequent report quoted flydubai as saying a disturbance took place on the flight deck and that “the duty pilots operating the flight managed to control the situation, divert the aircraft, and land it safely at Tabuk Airport.” The report also quoted the airline saying all passengers and crew were safe.
According to that report, flydubai dispatched two replacement aircraft to Tabuk for passengers and crew, while other scheduled routes remained unaffected. It quoted the airline saying the reasons and motives remained subject to an official investigation and urging against premature speculation.
Separately, Tabuk Airport said both the captain and co-pilot sustained injuries and were taken to hospital, The National reported. Passengers received assistance in the terminal as the airport and airline arranged onward travel.
Emergency Alerts and Israel’s Response
Flightradar24 recorded a general emergency signal, followed by a code indicating unlawful interference, before the aircraft switched back to the general emergency code. Ynet reported that two Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled as authorities tried to determine what was happening aboard.
Instagram account @bymoalem reported that, about two hours and 15 minutes into the flight, the aircraft dropped from 34,000 feet to around 17,000 feet in under a minute while its speed increased from 411 knots to nearly 600. Ynet separately reported a loss of more than 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.
JNS cited N12’s report that a second team of pilots traveling as passengers helped stabilize the aircraft. “The great stroke of luck on this flight was the pilots,” a senior Israeli official told N12. “Otherwise, we would have been facing an incident straight out of September 2001 or July 1976.” The comparison referred to the 9/11 attacks and the Entebbe hijacking.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the situation was under control and that measures were being taken to bring the Israeli passengers home safely. The Israeli military said senior officers held a situational assessment over the incident.
The flight was operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8. Flydubai is a lower-cost sister carrier of Emirates; both airlines are owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai but operate independently. Flights between Israel and the United Arab Emirates began after the two countries normalized relations in 2020, opening the UAE as a major destination for Israeli travelers.
Replacement Flight and Return to Israel
The passengers have returned safely to Israel. A replacement flydubai aircraft brought them home after the emergency landing in Tabuk.
CBN also reported that Mossad officials had cleared the replacement crew, consisting of an Australian and a Ukrainian pilot. Earlier, VINnews reported that departure arrangements awaited crew vetting by the Mossad and Saudi clearance.
The Tabuk-Israel journey followed an earlier direct passenger flight from Saudi Arabia in August 2023, when an Air Seychelles aircraft brought travelers from Jeddah to Ben Gurion after an emergency diversion. President Donald Trump also flew directly from Riyadh to Tel Aviv aboard Air Force One during his May 2017 visit.
In light of this incident, we anticipate that the Israeli government will likely introduce new security restrictions for all flights into Israel operated by foreign carriers. YeahThatsKosher will keep tabs on developments and report on any changes in the future.
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