Flydubai Flight Diverted to Saudi Arabia After Cockpit Altercation
By Cynthia Okere, Lagos
A Flydubai passenger flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv has made an emergency diversion to Saudi Arabia following an altercation on the flight deck, with the airline confirming that all passengers and crew are safe.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, operating from Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates to Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel.
Flydubai confirmed that an altercation occurred on the flight deck and said on-duty members of its crew who were travelling aboard the aircraft intervened, secured the plane and diverted it to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft subsequently landed safely in Tabuk.
“All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for,” Flydubai said in its statement on the incident.
Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 reported that the aircraft transmitted the emergency code 7700 before subsequently transmitting 7500, a code used to indicate unlawful interference with an aircraft.
Flight data also showed that the aircraft experienced a rapid loss of altitude before the diversion.
The incident prompted a security response in Israel, including the deployment of Israeli military aircraft amid initial concerns over a possible hijacking.
Israeli officials later made more serious allegations about events inside the cockpit.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot attacked the captain and attempted to bring down the aircraft before being subdued. Reuters reported that Saudi authorities detained the co-pilot following the landing.
These allegations have not been established as the final findings of an investigation.
Flydubai has cautioned against speculation, stressing that the reasons and motives behind the incident remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation.
Authorities at the airport in Tabuk said the captain and first officer sustained injuries and were taken to hospital following the diversion.
Flydubai also deployed two replacement aircraft to Tabuk to assist the affected passengers and crew.
The airline said the incident had not affected its other scheduled operations.
The passengers later left Saudi Arabia for Israel aboard a replacement Flydubai aircraft after spending several hours on the ground.
The incident is expected to attract close scrutiny from aviation and security authorities because of the circumstances surrounding the cockpit altercation and the emergency signals transmitted by the aircraft.
Investigators will be expected to establish the sequence of events on the flight deck, what triggered the confrontation and the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s sudden descent and emergency diversion.
Flydubai said its immediate priority remains the safety, health and wellbeing of the passengers and crew while it supports the official investigation.