Aviation

Flydubai Boeing 737 Diverts to Saudi Arabia After Violent Cockpit Incident

Published on: September 30, 2026 at 9:21 PM CEST
Stefano D'Urso Stefano D'Urso
Flydubai FZ1073
File photo of a Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8. Top inset: the damage to the rudder of the Boeing 737. Bottom inset: flight tracking data showing the sharp variations in altitude. (Image credit: Flydubai, Reuters and Flightradar24)

A Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia after the two pilots reportedly became involved in a violent confrontation inside the cockpit.

A Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating flight FZ1073 from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Sept. 30, 2026, after a serious incident developed inside the cockpit while the aircraft was enroute. The first hints about an ongoing incident arrived when the aircraft was noticed on flight tracking websites plummeting 14,000 ft in less than 30 seconds.

The aircraft later inverted the route and landed safely at Tabuk Airport, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, after transmitting a series of emergency signals. All passengers, approximately 174 – many of which from Israel, were reported safe and accounted for by Flydubai, while Saudi authorities said that both pilots sustained injuries and were taken to hospital.

The incident initially triggered fears of a hijacking because the aircraft briefly transmitted the international transponder code 7500, which indicates unlawful interference. As a precaution, Israeli authorities scrambled fighter aircraft and held urgent security consultations while the airliner approached Israeli airspace.

Following the landing, Israeli officials said that the aircraft had not been hijacked. Instead, the emergency appears to have resulted from a violent confrontation between the two pilots, which was stopped with the help of the cabin crew and passengers.

Images which emerged following the landing show that the aircraft suffered substantial damage, with the rudder missing a large part. During the descent, the Boeing 737 reportedly exceeded its maximum operating speed.

Emergency Over Saudi Arabia

FZ1073 departed Dubai early in the morning, at 03:05 UTC, on a scheduled flight to Tel Aviv. According to publicly available flight-tracking data, the Boeing 737 was cruising at approximately 34,000 feet when it suddenly began a sharp descent at 05:22 UTC, according to data provided by Flightradar24 and AirNav Radar.

The aircraft reached approximately 15,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. This abrupt maneuver was followed by a sharp climb and another sharp descent, before the aircraft stabilized at approximately 15,000 feet and continued the flight toward Saudi Arabia.

The sequence was accompanied by a series of emergency transponder codes which were transmitted from 05:31 UTC, about ten minutes after the beginning of the first descent. The aircraft first transmitted 7700, the internationally recognized transponder code for a general emergency.

Several minutes later, it briefly transmitted 7500, the standardized code which indicates possible unlawful interference, raising concerns that the aircraft could have been hijacked. The aircraft subsequently returned to 7700 before turning south and diverting toward Tabuk.

Meanwhile, Israeli fighter aircraft were scrambled as authorities attempted to determine what was happening aboard the aircraft. The incident also prompted urgent consultations involving Israeli officials, reportedly including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

An Israeli official subsequently told Reuters that the emergency signals had been transmitted following a physical altercation between the two pilots.

What Happened in the Cockpit?

The precise sequence of events remains under investigation, but increasingly detailed accounts from Israeli officials and passengers point to a violent confrontation between the pilots. Reuters reported that two Israeli officials said the current Israeli assessment was that the incident may have been an attempted terror attack.

“During the flight, as they were approaching Israel, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot and, apparently, tried to crash the plane with its passengers on board,” said Netanyahu.

After speaking with passengers, the Prime Minister said a passenger and one of the crew members were able to break into the cockpit and overpower the pilot, while another crew member managed to stabilize the aircraft. The pilot who carried out the stabbing was arrested upon landing by Saudi authorities.

Israeli media have also circulated a photograph purportedly showing a passenger with a blood-soaked shirt. Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the photograph.

Meanwhile, Saudi authorities have confirmed that both the pilots were injured. The precise nature and severity of their injuries has not been fully disclosed, although authorities confirmed that both were transported to hospital for medical treatment.

Flydubai later sent two replacement planes to Tabuk, and all the passengers of flight FZ1073 have now departed Saudi Arabia.

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By Stefano D'Urso
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Stefano D'Urso is the Deputy Editor at The Aviationist, based in Lecce, Italy. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering. His areas of expertise include emerging aerospace and defense technologies, electronic warfare, unmanned and autonomous systems, loitering munitions, and the application of OSINT techniques to the analysis of military operations and contemporary conflicts.
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