TABUK, Saudi Arabia — A flydubai co-pilot has been detained in Saudi Arabia after allegedly stabbing the captain of an Israel-bound passenger jet and attempting to crash the aircraft, triggering a dramatic plunge and an emergency landing with more than 150 people aboard.
Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, when a violent incident erupted inside the cockpit, according to Israeli officials and passenger accounts.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot stabbed the captain before apparently attempting to bring down the aircraft.
Passengers and crew members intervened and subdued him, Netanyahu said.
Saudi authorities subsequently took the co-pilot into custody for questioning, according to Reuters.
The motive remains under investigation, and neither Saudi authorities nor flydubai has publicly established why the incident occurred.
Plane Plunges as Hijacking Code Is Activated
The Boeing 737 was cruising at roughly 34,000 feet when it suddenly descended thousands of feet during the cockpit struggle.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft falling rapidly to below 20,000 feet before eventually stabilising.
The aircraft initially transmitted 7700, the international transponder code for a general emergency, before switching to 7500, which signals unlawful interference with an aircraft and is commonly associated with a hijacking.
The alert prompted Israel to scramble fighter jets amid fears that the passenger aircraft had been hijacked.
Those initial fears later gave way to reports of an attack originating inside the cockpit.
Netanyahu said the co-pilot had attempted to sabotage the aircraft after attacking the captain.
Reuters reported that the suspect is an Omani national. His name has not been publicly released.
Israeli authorities are examining whether the episode was a deliberate terrorist attack, but investigators have not publicly established a motive.
Passengers Rush Cockpit
Passengers described screaming from the cockpit as the aircraft began its sudden descent.
One passenger later recorded a video saying those aboard had subdued the attacker and were preparing for an emergency landing.
“We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists, we’re approaching landing,” the passenger said in footage broadcast by Israeli media.
The passenger’s description reflected what those aboard believed was happening at the time; authorities have not confirmed that more than one attacker was involved.
Reports said passengers seated near the front of the plane entered the cockpit and helped restrain the co-pilot.
Other qualified pilots travelling aboard the flight then helped regain control of the aircraft, according to passenger accounts reported by international news organisations.
Both Pilots Taken to Hospital
The jet diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Cluster2 Airports, the operator of the airport, said air traffic controllers received a distress call from flight FZ1073 at 8:44 a.m. local time requesting an emergency landing.
The airport declared an emergency, and the aircraft landed safely at 9:45 a.m.
Both the captain and first officer sustained injuries and were taken to hospital, the airport said.
No passenger deaths were reported.
Flydubai said all passengers were safe and accounted for.
“Flydubai can confirm that flight FZ 1073 operating from Dubai International (DXB) to Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) on 30 September experienced an incident while en route,” the airline said.
“The aircraft has landed safely in Tabuk (TUU) and all passengers are safe and accounted for.”
The Dubai-based airline said it was working with the relevant authorities and would release further information as details were confirmed.
Israel Treating Incident as Serious Security Threat
The emergency immediately triggered consultations among senior Israeli security officials.
Netanyahu said authorities were examining the incident and arranging for the passengers to continue their journey from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, making the emergency diversion unusually sensitive, although Saudi authorities have previously permitted Israel-bound aircraft to land in emergencies.
Israeli officials told Reuters that investigators increasingly believed the co-pilot had deliberately tried to crash the aircraft after stabbing the captain.
That assessment has not yet been publicly endorsed by Saudi investigators or flydubai.
The airline has so far described what happened only as an “incident” and has not identified either pilot or offered an account of the confrontation.
Saudi authorities are continuing their investigation.
