A flydubai commercial passenger aircraft flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to and landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning after what Israeli officials said was an attempted hijacking by one of the pilots that led to a mid-air altercation.
An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post a “major disaster was narrowly avoided” amid growing fears that one of the pilots attempted to hijack the plane with the intention of crashing it into the ground. Additional flight crew, aided by Israelis on board the flight, managed to subdue the pilot and bring him under control, the official told the Post.
A flydubai spokesperson later confirmed that its onboard crew successfully secured the aircraft following a flight deck "altercation," noting that the "underlying reasons and motives behind this event remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation." The spokesperson said two replacement aircraft were sent to pick up the affected passengers and crew, and asked the public to "refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts."
The growing assessment among the Israeli security establishment, including the IDF, Mossad, and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), is that the incident was intended as an act of terror. During the altercation, the aircraft plunged about 4,000 meters, the official noted.
Security sources are investigating whether or not the attack is tied to Iran, though at the time of publishing, it is still too early to tell.
The aircraft, operating as flight FZ1073 and carrying 174 passengers, initially transmitted squawk code 7700, indicating a general emergency, before switching to 7500, which signals unlawful interference, and later reverting to the initial code.
Israeli media reported later on Wednesday that 166 of the passengers onboard were Israelis.
As the incident unfolded, the Israel Air Force (IAF) scrambled fighter jets in preparation for a possible emergency and raised its alert level, Walla reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had 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 (PMO) said following the consultations.
Israeli airspace was also temporarily closed and later reopened after the plane landed in Saudi Arabia. It landed at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport, also known as Tabuk Airport, the airline confirmed.
Shortly before 4 p.m. on Wednesday, a flydubai plane sent to return the Israelis to Tel Aviv landed in Saudi Arabia, but most passengers refused to board, citing concerns that neither the aircraft nor the pilot were Israeli, eyewitnesses told The Jerusalem Post. The eyewitness added that the atmosphere was generally fearful, with children crying. The Mossad and Shin Bet approved the flydubai rescue flight's crew later on Wednesday.
Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir were also considering the possibility of dispatching Israeli military or civilian aircraft in order to bring the Israelis home, the Post learned.
Zamir canceled his planned trip to the US due to the ongoing situation. Zamir was slated to meet with US Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Adm. Brad Cooper, the Post confirmed.
Israeli official: Pilot attempted to hijack aircraft, major disaster averted
Authorities were investigating what happened aboard the flight, including the identity and background of the pilot who allegedly stabbed the other pilot. It was reported that the altercation between the pilots, which later escalated to include Israeli passengers and the crew onboard, included the stabbing of one of the pilots.
An Israeli official said it remains unclear what the pilot was attempting 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 are still working to determine the identity of the pilot who carried out the stabbing. They are also investigating a suspicion that the pilot may be Middle Eastern.
The suspected terror hijacker is believed to be of Omani nationality, according to initial investigations, Israeli sources told the Post.
Flydubai's deal with Israel to permit the airline to fly in and out of Ben-Gurion Airport states that pilots must be from countries that have normalized relations with Israel, a Transportation Ministry source told the Post.
Oman does not have normalized relations with Israel.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev has requested that Shin Bet halt all flydubai flights entering and exiting the country, due to unconfirmed reports that the pilot responsible for the incident was of Omani origin.
A statement released by Tabuk airport confirmed that both the pilot and first officer were wounded in the incident and later transferred to hospital for medical treatment after the plane landed. The statement did not clarify the cause of their wounds.
Yasmin Abu Kasis, whose daughter Miriam was on the flight, said that her daughter had told her that she had 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.
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.
Shir Perets, Amir Bohbot, Eli Leon, and Reuters contributed to this report.