RismadarVoice Reporters
September 30, 2026
A Flydubai passenger flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday following an in-flight incident that triggered emergency alerts.
Flight FZ1073 landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, with the airline confirming that all passengers were safe and accounted for.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 had departed Dubai International Airport for Ben Gurion International Airport before the incident occurred during the journey.
Flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft transmitted a general emergency code before subsequently transmitting another code used to indicate unlawful interference aboard an aircraft.
The aircraft also experienced a rapid loss of altitude, descending from about 33,000 feet to approximately 17,000 feet within about a minute before stabilising and later diverting to Tabuk.
Flydubai confirmed that the flight had experienced an incident while en route but initially provided no details about what caused the emergency.
Subsequent accounts from officials indicated that a violent altercation had occurred in the cockpit involving the pilots.
Saudi authorities said the captain and co-pilot were injured and taken to hospital following the emergency landing.
Israeli authorities initially responded to concerns about a possible hijacking, but officials later said the incident was not considered a conventional hijacking.
Israel also deployed military aircraft in response to the emergency as authorities assessed the situation.
Passengers reported hearing shouting from the front of the aircraft and experiencing a sudden descent before the flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia.
Israeli authorities said they were working to facilitate the return of passengers following the incident.
The precise circumstances surrounding the cockpit altercation and its cause remain under investigation.
Flydubai said it was working closely with the relevant authorities and would provide further information as additional details were confirmed.
