A Flydubai passenger plane travelling from Dubai to Israel was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a reported confrontation between its pilots triggered distress signals and briefly raised fears of a possible hijacking.
Flight FZ 1073 was flying over Jordan on Wednesday when it diverted to Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia after transmitting three emergency signals, including one indicating possible unlawful interference.
The aircraft reportedly descended about 16,000 feet in two minutes during the incident, prompting Israeli authorities to scramble fighter jets amid fears that the plane could have been hijacked.
All passengers were eventually confirmed safe, while the captain and co-pilot were taken to hospital for treatment, according to Saudi aviation authorities.
Reports of cockpit attack
The circumstances surrounding the incident remained unclear, with conflicting reports emerging from passengers and Israeli media.
A passenger quoted by the Jerusalem Post claimed that one pilot stabbed the other and attempted to force him out of the cockpit.
According to the account, several Israeli passengers rushed to the cockpit and helped subdue the attacker as the aircraft began losing altitude.
The report could not immediately be independently verified. Israeli media also published photographs appearing to show a passenger with blood on their shirt.
Yasmin Abu Kaiss, whose daughter was aboard the flight, told Reuters that her daughter heard screaming before seeing a man with a knife allegedly attack a pilot.
“She said there was blood everywhere,” Abu Kaiss said, according to Reuters.
Israeli authorities initially said the diversion was not caused by a hijacking attempt, although officials later said the circumstances were under investigation.
Israeli media, citing unnamed officials, reported that investigators were examining several possibilities, including whether one of the pilots had attempted to deliberately crash the aircraft before being stopped by crew members.
Officials were also reportedly examining whether the incident could have been linked to a potential attack targeting Israeli passengers.
Israeli fighter jets scrambled
The incident prompted an immediate security response in Israel, with fighter jets reportedly scrambled after the aircraft transmitted distress signals.
The head of the Israeli military, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, also postponed a planned visit to the United States next week, where he was expected to meet the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commander of US Central Command.
The incident came days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of indications that an attack could be carried out during Israel’s October elections.
However, the Israeli military told local media that it had no intelligence indicating that an attack against Israel was being planned.
Flydubai confirms incident
Flydubai confirmed that Flight FZ 1073, which was heading to Ben Gurion Airport, had experienced an incident and landed safely in Tabuk.
“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” the airline said. “Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available.”
Israeli media also reported that another Flydubai flight travelling towards Tel Aviv later turned around mid-air and returned to Dubai following the incident.
Flights between Dubai and Israel began after the two countries established diplomatic ties in 2020.
Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have diplomatic relations, although an Israeli aircraft landed in Riyadh in 2025 after a medical emergency.
The latest incident is expected to attract scrutiny because of Israel’s longstanding concerns over aviation security and the history of aircraft hijackings involving Palestinian militant groups in the 1960s and 1970s.
Authorities had not, however, established that the latest incident was a hijacking, and investigations into what happened inside the cockpit were continuing.
