flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to KSA after alleged hijacking attempt by pilot

A flydubai passenger plane en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning following what Israeli officials described as an attempted hijacking by one of its pilots, which triggered a violent mid-air struggle.

According to an Israeli official who spoke to The Jerusalem Post, a "major disaster was narrowly avoided." The official said there were fears that one of the pilots tried to seize control of the aircraft with the intent of crashing it into the ground. Other crew members, assisted by Israeli passengers on board, managed to overpower the pilot and bring him under control.

Israeli security agencies, including the IDF, Mossad, and Shin Bet, increasingly believe the incident was intended as an act of terrorism, according to the assessment cited by the official. During the struggle, the plane reportedly lost approximately 4,000 meters in altitude.

The aircraft, flying as flight FZ1073 with more than 100 Israeli passengers on board, first transmitted squawk code 7700, signaling a general emergency. It then switched to 7500, which indicates unlawful interference, before returning to the original code.

As the situation developed, the Israel Air Force scrambled fighter jets and raised its alert level in preparation for a possible emergency, according to Walla. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security meeting with defense officials, the Post learned.

"The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel," the Prime Minister's Office said after the consultations.

Israeli airspace was temporarily closed and later reopened after the plane landed in Saudi Arabia. The airline confirmed the aircraft landed at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport, also known as Tabuk Airport.

The Emirati carrier is preparing to send another aircraft to Saudi Arabia to bring the passengers back to Tel Aviv. Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir were also weighing the option of dispatching Israeli military or civilian aircraft to bring the Israelis home, according to Walla.

Zamir canceled a planned trip to the United States because of the ongoing situation. He had been scheduled to meet with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper, the Post confirmed.

Israeli official: Pilot attempted to hijack aircraft, major disaster averted

Authorities were investigating what took place aboard the flight, including the identity and background of the pilot who allegedly stabbed the other pilot. Reports indicated that the altercation between the pilots escalated to include Israeli passengers and cabin crew, and that one of the pilots was stabbed.

An Israeli official said it remained unclear what the pilot was trying to do — whether he intended to hijack the plane to Israel, crash it into the ground, or carry out a September 11-style attack. What is clear, the official said, is that he wanted to hijack the aircraft.

The official said authorities were still working to determine the identity of the pilot who carried out the stabbing. They were also investigating a suspicion that the pilot may be Middle Eastern.

Initial investigations suggested the suspected hijacker is believed to be of Omani nationality, Israeli sources told the Post.

Yasmin Abu Kasis, whose daughter Miriam was on the flight, said her daughter told her she heard screaming and that a man took a knife, put the pilot on the floor, and that there was blood everywhere.

Israelis rushed to stop suspected terrorist from stabbing pilot, force him out of cockpit, passenger tells 'Post'

An Israeli passenger aboard the flight told the Post that one pilot stabbed another and tried to force him out of the cockpit as the aircraft began to plunge.

The passenger said Israelis seated near the front rushed to the cockpit and fought the attacker while the plane was diving. Two other pilots seated at the back initially appeared to be in shock. "I shouted at them to run and take control of the plane," the passenger said.

According to the passenger, the group managed to remove the attacker from the cockpit and get the two other pilots inside. One took control of the aircraft, while the other took longer to recover from the shock.

The passenger described the stabbed pilot as being in critical condition and said an Israeli dentist on board treated him and saved his life.

All passengers safe and accounted for, flydubai says

"Flydubai can confirm that flight FZ 1073 operating from Dubai International (DXB) to Ben-Gurion Airport (TLV) on 30 September experienced an incident while en route," flydubai said.

"The aircraft has landed safely in Tabuk (TUU), and all passengers are safe and accounted for. The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority. Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities. Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available," the airline added.

It is not the first time a flight between Israel and the UAE has landed in Saudi Arabia. A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Riyadh in September 2025 due to a medical emergency, the Post reported at the time.

Similar incidents elsewhere have led to immediate suspensions.

Past incidents of pilot altercations in the cockpit

In 2022, two Air France pilots were suspended after physically confronting each other in the cockpit during a flight from Geneva to Paris. Crew members had to separate them, and one of the pilots remained in the cockpit until landing.

An even more serious incident occurred in 2009 on an Air India flight from Sharjah, UAE, to New Delhi, India, when pilots and crew members exchanged blows, and the altercation spilled over from the cockpit into the aircraft's galley. Two pilots and two crew members were suspended, and police launched an investigation.

Israel must 'address intent and not results,' Smotrich says

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was the first member of government to issue a statement, calling for Israel to "address the intent and not the results."

"Whoever tried to crash a plane and murder 180 Israelis must pay as if he murdered. He and every state or terrorist organization that sent him," he wrote.

There is currently no evidence suggesting the suspected hijacker had backing from a foreign actor.