Flydubai FZ1073 Hijack Scare: What We Know About Stabbing, Pilot Fight and Diversion

A flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent incident involving the pilots triggered emergency signals and briefly raised fears of a hijacking. Passengers later described hearing screams, seeing blood inside the cockpit and witnessing a sudden descent of the aircraft. The Boeing 737 eventually landed safely at Tabuk Airport, with all passengers and crew accounted for.

Passenger accounts reported by Israeli media alleged that one pilot was stabbed with a pocketknife during the cockpit confrontation. However, authorities have not publicly confirmed all details of the alleged stabbing, and the exact sequence of events inside the cockpit remains under investigation. Flydubai Flight FZ1073 Makes Emergency Landing in Tabuk After Dramatic Altitude Drop and Pilot Dispute.

What Happened on Flydubai Flight FZ1073?

Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv when the incident occurred. According to flight-tracking data cited by Reuters and Flightradar24, the aircraft first transmitted the 7700 emergency code, used to indicate a general emergency. Several minutes later, it transmitted 7500, the international transponder code associated with unlawful interference and commonly linked to a possible hijacking.

The aircraft subsequently changed course towards Saudi Arabia and landed at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Flightradar24 data indicated that the aircraft also experienced a very rapid descent. Reuters reported that it dropped by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal was transmitted.

Pilot Allegedly Stabbed as Cockpit Fight Triggers Hijack Alert

A terrifying midair emergency unfolded aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv after a violent struggle erupted inside the cockpit. According to preliminary Israeli reports, one pilot is suspected of attempting suicide by deliberately putting the Boeing 737 into a… pic.twitter.com/2zY8AupdEU

— Armstrong Williams 🇺🇸 (@Arightside) September 30, 2026

Netanyahu Monitors Incident as Situation Comes Under Control

Prime Minister's Office announcement:

Following concerns over an aviation incident, Prime Minister Netanyahu held consultations on the matter and is monitoring developments.

The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the…

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) September 30, 2026

Passengers Report Screams, Blood and Stabbing

Passengers described a chaotic situation after screams were heard from the front of the aircraft. One passenger told Israeli media that passengers heard screaming before the cockpit was opened. She said they saw blood inside and that someone had stabbed a pilot with a pocketknife.

Other accounts said passengers and members of the crew intervened and helped restrain the person involved in the confrontation. A passenger's family member separately told Reuters that her daughter had reported seeing a man with a knife force a pilot to the floor, with blood visible. These accounts have not yet been independently verified in full. Reuters also reported that it could not immediately verify an image published by Israeli media that appeared to show a passenger's blood-stained shirt.

Was the Flydubai Flight Hijacked?

The 7500 signal triggered immediate fears that the aircraft had been hijacked, particularly because the plane was carrying Israeli passengers and was approaching Israel. However, an Israeli Prime Minister's Office spokesman said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking. An Israeli official told Reuters that the emergency signals were transmitted after a physical altercation between the pilots.

Israeli fighter jets were scrambled as authorities responded to the possible security threat. Israeli officials also held security consultations while the aircraft was diverted towards Saudi Arabia. The distinction is important: the aircraft transmitted a code associated with possible unlawful interference, but Israeli officials later said the incident was not believed to be a hijacking.

Why Did the Plane Suddenly Descend?

The sharp change in altitude was one of the factors that intensified fears among passengers and authorities. Flight-tracking information showed the Boeing 737 descending rapidly before the emergency signals were transmitted. Passengers subsequently described the aircraft suddenly plunging, adding to the panic inside the cabin.

What caused the descent has not been conclusively established publicly. Reports have linked it to the confrontation in the cockpit, but the investigation is still underway. Some Israeli media reports have raised additional theories about what one of the pilots may have been attempting to do. Those claims have not been independently established and should be treated as unconfirmed.

Flydubai Confirms Incident, Says All Passengers Are Safe

Flydubai confirmed that Flight FZ1073 experienced an incident while travelling from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport. The airline said the aircraft landed safely at Tabuk and that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for. It added that its teams were working with the relevant authorities and that further information would be provided as confirmed details became available. The airline has so far not publicly provided a detailed account of the cockpit confrontation or confirmed the passenger reports about a stabbing.

The incident remains under investigation as authorities work to establish what happened inside the cockpit, what led to the reported confrontation and why the aircraft transmitted the emergency and hijack-associated signals. For passengers on board, the episode involved a sudden descent, a diversion to Saudi Arabia and a brief but serious fear that the flight could have been under attack.

While passenger accounts have provided details about the alleged stabbing and chaos inside the cockpit, officials have so far confirmed the broader sequence: an onboard incident, emergency signals, diversion to Tabuk and the safe arrival of everyone aboard.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2026 03:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).