Israel says pilot tried to hijack flydubai flight to Tel Aviv that diverted, landed in Saudi Arabia
- On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Flydubai Flight FZ1073 diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after transmitting emergency transponder codes 7700 and 7500 during its Dubai-to-Tel Aviv route following a violent cockpit altercation.
- Security officials and Flydubai confirmed the emergency stemmed from a cockpit struggle between pilots, explicitly ruling out a hijacking. Reports allege the co-pilot attacked the captain with a knife during the flight over Saudi airspace.
- Flightradar24 data shows the Boeing 737 MAX 8 plummeted from nearly 34,000 feet to less than 17,000 feet in minutes. Passengers and crew subdued the attacker after hearing screams from the cockpit.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu monitored developments while the Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets as a precaution. All passengers landed safely in Tabuk, where authorities opened an investigation.
- The emergency landing in Tabuk marks a rare arrival of Israelis in the kingdom, reflecting evolving ties since the UAE and Israel normalized relations 6 years ago, though the nations lack official diplomatic relations.
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752 Articles
Israel Scrambles Jets After Distress Call From Dubai Flight
A commercial plane traveling from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Israel was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, briefly grapeg concerns about a possible hijacking and prompting Israel to scramble warplanes, reports the AP. Israeli media, citing security official, said the incident stemmed...
A bloody brawl broke out between two pilots aboard a plane en route to Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning. The plane was forced to turn around and make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Israeli authorities are now investigating whether it could be a terrorist act.
Passengers Help Subdue Suspect After Flydubai Jet Bound For Israel Makes Emergency Landing In Saudi Arabia
TABUK, SAUDI ARABIA (VIN) — A Flydubai flight carrying more than 100 Israeli passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing Wednesday in northwestern Saudi Arabia after a midair cockpit confrontation that Israeli officials said they are investigating as a possible attempted hijacking. Flydubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737, left Dubai International Airport […]
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Flight to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia after incident in cockpit, Israeli security source says
A FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia Wednesday morning after an incident took place between the pilots inside the cockpit.
Israeli Official: 'Major Disaster' Avoided in Suspected Attempted Hijacking
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