Date: September 30, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
A Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent incident involving two pilots, prompting an emergency response and raising initial concerns about a possible hijacking. Israeli authorities later said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking.
Flight FZ1073 was carrying passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv when an altercation broke out in the cockpit. Israeli officials said the co-pilot stabbed the pilot and subsequently attempted to take control of the aircraft in a way that caused the plane to plunge nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.
Passengers and crew members intervened after realizing that something was seriously wrong. According to Israeli officials, several passengers entered the cockpit, overpowered the co-pilot and helped enable other qualified Flydubai pilots who were traveling aboard the aircraft to regain control and land the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft later arrived at Tabuk airport, where both pilots were taken to hospital for treatment. Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot and began questioning him, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. An Israeli official identified the co-pilot as an Omani national. His motive remained unclear, and there was no immediate comment from Oman.
The dramatic descent triggered aviation emergency signals. Flight-tracking data showed that the Boeing 737 dropped about 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. The aircraft subsequently transmitted an emergency code indicating general distress and another code associated with unlawful interference, contributing to the initial concern that the plane could have been under attack or hijacked.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the episode as a serious security incident and said Saudi authorities would interrogate the co-pilot. He praised the passengers who entered the cockpit and helped prevent what Israeli officials said could have become a major disaster.
The passengers, most of whom were Israeli nationals, remained in Saudi Arabia for several hours before being flown to Tel Aviv on a replacement Flydubai aircraft. More than 10 hours after the original flight left Dubai, the passengers arrived at Ben Gurion Airport, where several described the experience as frightening and credited those who intervened with helping save the aircraft.
One passenger, Lital Shachaf, described the experience as a “miracle,” saying passengers did not believe they would survive after the aircraft began losing control. Other passengers recounted how people toward the front of the aircraft realized something was wrong and moved toward the cockpit.
The incident has prompted Israel to increase security checks involving pilots operating flights into the country. A spokesperson for Netanyahu's office said authorities would seek to identify pilots flying into Israel and conduct additional security checks, including on flights operated by foreign airlines.
The move comes amid wider questions about pilot screening and aviation security in the Middle East. Aviation security experts told Reuters that pilots already undergo substantial background and security screening, with procedures governed by national authorities and international aviation standards. However, the precise way those standards are implemented can differ between countries and airlines.
Flydubai cautioned against drawing premature conclusions while the investigation continues. The Dubai-based airline said the underlying reasons for the incident remained unknown and that authorities were working to establish what happened.
Reuters reported that it was not immediately possible to determine what weapon was used in the stabbing. Passengers reported seeing a man holding a knife while one of the pilots lay injured. Aviation experts noted that pilots may have access to certain objects in the cockpit or aircraft environment that could potentially be used as weapons, although the precise circumstances of the attack remain under investigation.
The injured captain was identified by India's embassy in Saudi Arabia as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national. The embassy said he was receiving treatment in a hospital in Tabuk and was in stable condition. Saudi airport authorities also confirmed that both pilots were hospitalized following the incident.
The flight's diversion was particularly notable because Saudi Arabia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel. The UAE and Israel established diplomatic relations in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, making flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv increasingly common. The emergency landing therefore brought the Israeli passengers into Saudi Arabia before they were later transported back to Israel.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he spoke at length with Netanyahu about the incident. Trump told reporters that the account he had received from the Israeli prime minister described a struggle aboard the aircraft but acknowledged that he had not independently verified every detail.
The Israeli prime minister's office said the episode was not believed to have been a hijacking, while the formal investigation into the cockpit confrontation and the co-pilot's motive continued. Authorities had not publicly established whether the incident was politically motivated, criminal in nature or connected to any broader organization.
With passengers safely returned to Israel and the aircraft secured in Saudi Arabia, attention has shifted to determining how the confrontation began, how the aircraft was brought under control after its rapid descent and what security measures may be necessary to prevent a similar incident in the future.