This article was updated on Thursday, October 1, 2026, to include further details on what we know so far. It was originally published on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
A flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) had to divert to Saudi Arabia after one of its pilots reportedly attempted to hijack the aircraft on Wednesday. According to the BBC, a fight broke out between the pilots, with one of them stabbing the other before he was able to be tackled and tied down.
Amid the scuffle, the aircraft reportedly descended sharply, losing more than 14,000 feet of altitude in less than half a minute. After the incident, the flight diverted to Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Airport (TUU) in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and flydubai has since dispatched a second aircraft to let passengers continue their journey to Tel Aviv.
A day after the incident, it's high time to summarize the key details surrounding the alarming events on board flydubai flight FZ1073 on September 30, 2026.
After the flight's arrival in Tabuk, the two pilots were taken to hospital, with the attacker subsequently being arrested. Photos of the aircraft on the ground showed that part of its rudder was missing, presumably due to the stresses of the rapid changes in speed and altitude during the scuffle. An investigation has been launched, with the Jerusalem Post reporting that the UAE is allowing Israel to participate.
Amid the aftermath of the incident, flydubai confirmed on Wednesday that it will suspend all flights "to and from Israel" temporarily. While the carrier said it is working to investigate and "establish all the facts surrounding the incident," it is unclear how long the suspension will last.
"We are fully committed to supporting the ongoing investigation and maintaining the highest safety standards across our network," the airline explained in a statement. "We remain in close coordination with government authorities, regulators and airport stakeholders and will review the suspension as more information becomes available. We apologise to passengers whose travel plans have been affected and are working to provide support and alternative arrangements where possible."
The BBC recently shared a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who claimed that "the pilot who carried out the stabbing was arrested and is currently being questioned by the Saudi authorities." He also confirmed that "one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot and, apparently, tried to crash the plane with its passengers on board."
Netanyahu went on to explain the account from a passenger onboard.
"He told me that the plane went into a spin and began to descend. Somehow, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members and, together, they overpowered the pilot who had carried out the stabbing while he was attempting to sabotage the aircraft's systems. They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster."
"He told me that the plane went into a spin and began to descend. Somehow, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members and, together, they overpowered the pilot who had carried out the stabbing while he was attempting to sabotage the aircraft's systems. They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster."
In a second statement, flydubai has confirmed that "the aircraft was successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport." It adds that "all passengers and crew are safe and accounted for," and that a replacement aircraft was deployed to accommodate the stranded passengers.
"This incident has no impact on other scheduled operations across the flydubai network. At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation," the airline explained. "We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts. Our immediate priority is to ensure the ongoing safety, health, and wellbeing of all passengers and crew members involved in this incident and support the official investigation."
Simple Flying has obtained footage on social media appearing to show both pilots lying in the galley covered in blood and receiving medical attention. Viewer discretion is advised as the footage is graphic.
It is unclear which pilot is which, though the person filming tells one not to sleep, while the second pilot appears unconscious. Both pilots are being given oxygen. The flight's cabin crew can be seen telling people not to film. The BBC analyzed the footage and confirmed it was not manipulated by AI.
There were 174 passengersonboard flight 1073, most of them from Israel, according to AeroCorner. In order to allow the passengers to continue their journeys to Tel Aviv, the carrier has dispatched a replacement 737 MAX 8 from DXB to Tabuk. This aircraft took off at 12:56 PM local time and is expected to reach Tabuk at 2:41 PM.
The replacement aircraft bears registration A6-FKR and is repositioning to Tabuk under flight 8455. It landed in Dubai Wednesday morning from Makhachkala Uytash Airport (MCX) in Russia's Dagestan Republic at 8:38 AM local time as flight 994. Passengers on flight 1073 will reach Tel Aviv with a considerable delay.
According to passenger testimony shared by the BBC, those on board are said to have heard screaming before seeing "blood everywhere," and one of the pilots being forced to the floor by the other, who was holding a knife. Thereafter, passengers seated at the front of the jet helped to tackle and tie down the attacking pilot and get him out of the cockpit. Two more pilots were seated at the rear.
These pilots were then instructed to take control of the plane, while a dentist who happened to be traveling on the flight is said to have administered life-saving care to the wounded pilot. Following the jet's diversion to Saudi Arabia, TUU's owners issued a statement confirming that both the wounded pilot and his attacker were taken to hospital with injuries. In any case, this was clearly a very close call.
Indeed, citing the altitude lost and the rate of descent, officials in Israel, where the flight had been bound for before its diversion, have said that "a major disaster was narrowly avoided." According to TUU, the facility received the first distress call from the flight at 8:44 AM local time. At that point, the crew requested an emergency landing, and the jet landed an hour later after turning around over Jordan.
Small changes can make a big difference in aviation when extrapolated across a whole fleet.
According to Flightradar24, the flight involved in this alarming incident was flight 1073. This daily flydubai service left DXB at 7:05 AM (3:05 AM UTC) today, operated by a 737 MAX 8 with registration A6-FKF, 20 minutes after its scheduled departure time of 6:45 AM. However, things took a rather dramatic turn just over two hours into the flight.
At 5:31 AM UTC, the flight issued squawk code 7700, indicating an emergency, before changing to 7500, which denotes a hijacking. This followed several erratic changes in vertical speed, with the jet dropping from 30,875 feet to 16,750 feet in 29 seconds at 5:22 AM UTC. Afterward, the flight diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and landed safely around 6:45 AM UTC.
"All passengers are safe and accounted for," flydubai said in a statement. "The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority. Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities."
