Flight FZ1073 diverted to Saudi Arabia after a rapid descent as Israeli officials alleged one pilot stabbed the other and tried to crash the aircraft.
TABUK, Saudi Arabia — A flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent cockpit altercation and rapid descent, with Israeli officials alleging that a co-pilot stabbed the captain and tried to crash the aircraft.
Flight FZ1073 landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, and all passengers were safe and accounted for, flydubai said. The airline confirmed that an altercation occurred on the flight deck and said flydubai crew members traveling aboard the aircraft secured it and diverted to Tabuk. Saudi airport authorities said the captain and co-pilot were injured and taken to a hospital.
The flight was traveling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv when the emergency developed. Flightradar24 data showed that the aircraft transmitted the transponder code 7700, used for a general emergency, followed by 7500, a code indicating unlawful interference with an aircraft. It later transmitted 7700 again before landing in Saudi Arabia.
Flight-tracking data showed the Boeing 737 MAX descending sharply during the incident. Reuters reported that the aircraft dropped nearly 14,000 feet within about 30 seconds, while other published accounts gave different figures for the descent. The New York Post reported an approximately 18,000-foot drop. Because the reported measurements differ, the precise altitude loss during the most rapid part of the descent was not immediately clear.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot stabbed the other pilot and apparently attempted to bring down the aircraft. Israeli officials told Reuters that passengers and a crew member intervened and subdued the suspected attacker before other pilots aboard the flight helped regain control and land the plane. The motive had not been independently established, and Saudi authorities were investigating the incident.
Flydubai’s own statement was more limited. The Dubai-based airline confirmed an altercation on the flight deck but did not publicly characterize the incident as terrorism or announce a motive. The airline said on-duty flydubai crew members who were traveling aboard the flight secured the aircraft and safely diverted it to Tabuk. That account established the emergency and intervention without resolving why the confrontation occurred.
Saudi airport operator Cluster2 Airports said air traffic controllers received a distress call from FZ1073 requesting an emergency landing at 8:44 a.m. local time. The airport declared an emergency and mobilized assistance. The aircraft landed safely at 9:45 a.m., according to the operator, which said passengers were assisted inside the terminal while arrangements were made for a replacement aircraft.
Israeli officials treated the episode as a serious security incident. Netanyahu said the suspected attacker was detained by Saudi authorities. Israeli officials also said the aircraft was carrying more than 170 Israelis. Reports on the total number of people aboard varied, and flydubai’s publicly reported statement did not provide a definitive passenger total.
The incident initially produced conflicting descriptions. Early accounts referred to a fight or altercation between pilots, while later statements from Netanyahu and other Israeli officials alleged that one pilot intentionally attacked the other and attempted to crash the aircraft. Flydubai confirmed the cockpit altercation but urged against speculation while authorities investigated what happened.
No passengers were reported killed in the incident. Saudi authorities continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the cockpit confrontation, while the two injured pilots received medical treatment. The suspected motive and a full official account of the events leading to the rapid descent had not been established publicly as of Wednesday.
Author note: Last updated September 30, 2026.