Israeli officials said the co-pilot may have tried to crash the Tel Aviv-bound aircraft before crew members and passengers intervened.
JERUSALEM — A flydubai passenger jet traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent confrontation between its pilots, with Israeli officials saying they were investigating whether the co-pilot tried to crash the aircraft in a possible terror attack.
Flight FZ1073 landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after the emergency aboard the Boeing 737. Flydubai said all passengers were safe and accounted for. Israeli officials told Reuters that the co-pilot was believed to have stabbed the captain before cabin crew entered the cockpit and took control. The airline said the reasons and motive behind the confrontation remained unknown and were subject to a formal investigation.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft suddenly lost nearly 14,000 feet of altitude in less than 30 seconds before an emergency signal was transmitted, Reuters reported. Flightradar24 said the aircraft first transmitted a general emergency code and later a code indicating possible unlawful interference. It was not immediately clear who transmitted the signals.
The episode initially triggered fears in Israel that the aircraft had been hijacked. Israeli warplanes were scrambled as the situation developed, according to published reports. The aircraft ultimately landed in Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, and officials said the passengers were not injured. Both pilots were hospitalized with injuries, according to the Saudi airport.
Three Israeli officials told Reuters that their government’s assessment was that the incident could have been an attempted terror attack. One of the officials identified the suspected attacker as an Omani national. Israeli authorities were examining the circumstances and motive, while Saudi authorities were handling the investigation after the aircraft landed on Saudi territory. Flydubai had not publicly endorsed the Israeli assessment of the motive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held security consultations as the incident unfolded. His office initially said the situation was under control and that measures were being taken to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel. Earlier accounts of the emergency varied sharply, with some reports describing a dispute between pilots and others suggesting a hijacking or deliberate attempt to bring down the aircraft.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the flight was carrying 174 passengers and that 166 were Israelis. The newspaper, citing Israeli officials, said additional flight crew and passengers helped subdue the pilot accused of initiating the confrontation. Reuters reported that cabin crew entered the cockpit and took control. Details about precisely how control of the aircraft was restored remained subject to the investigation.
Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an incident while traveling to Tel Aviv and was diverted to Tabuk. The airline later said its crew had secured the aircraft following an altercation on the flight deck. It cautioned against speculation while authorities investigated the underlying circumstances and motive. Replacement aircraft were being arranged for affected passengers and crew.
The emergency also prompted Israeli security consultations because of the unusual circumstances surrounding an Israel-bound commercial aircraft landing in Saudi Arabia. Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have formal diplomatic relations, though commercial flights traveling between Israel and the United Arab Emirates routinely cross Saudi airspace. Flydubai operates regular service between Dubai and Tel Aviv.
Questions remained Wednesday about the suspected attacker’s motive, the exact sequence of events inside the cockpit and the investigation being conducted in Saudi Arabia. Israeli officials were treating terrorism as a possible explanation, while flydubai said the motive remained unknown pending a formal investigation. All passengers had been accounted for after the aircraft landed safely.
Author note: Last updated September 30, 2026.