Flydubai Boeing 737 makes emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after cockpit altercation

A Flydubai Boeing 737 (flight FZ 1073) operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia on September 30, 2026, after a violent altercation between pilots triggered emergency distress signals. The aircraft carried approximately 174–180 passengers, including about 27 children and many Israeli nationals. Approximately 90 minutes into the flight, as the plane entered Jordanian airspace, it rapidly descended from 34,000 feet to approximately 16,600 feet in just over two minutes, transmitting squawk code 7700 (general emergency) followed by code 7500 (unlawful interference), before reverting to 7700. The dual signals initially raised concerns of a potential hijacking and prompted Israeli authorities to scramble fighter jets. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz convened an urgent security consultation, while Israeli police and military leadership conducted situational assessments.

According to Israeli media reports citing unnamed officials and passenger accounts, the emergency signals resulted from a violent altercation in the cockpit. Multiple eyewitness reports describe one pilot stabbing another during the confrontation, with unconfirmed accounts suggesting the alleged attacker was an Omani national and the captain was Emirati. Passengers and off-duty pilots reported to be aboard the aircraft assisted in restraining the aggressor and securing the cockpit. One passenger account mentioned that a dentist on board provided emergency medical care to an injured pilot. A senior Israeli official told media that if the off-duty pilots had not been present, the incident could have resulted in a catastrophic outcome comparable to historical aviation disasters.

Israeli authorities later determined that the emergency was caused by an internal personnel conflict rather than a hijacking attempt. An Israeli official stated at the time of initial response: "There is no definitive information about a hijacking. The pilot activated a distress signal. We are unable to establish contact with the pilot, and that is concerning." All passengers and crew members were accounted for and unharmed following the safe landing. Netanyahu's office stated: "The situation is under control and all measures are now being taken to safely return the Israeli passengers to Israel."

The incident marked a rare mass arrival of Israelis in Saudi Arabia, a country with which Israel has no diplomatic relations but which opened its airspace to Israeli-bound flights in 2022 as part of a US-brokered normalization initiative. Flydubai confirmed it would send a recovery aircraft to transport passengers onward, while Israeli authorities also explored options to dispatch a civilian or military plane to retrieve the stranded passengers. Some Israeli media outlets reported that Israeli security officials were investigating whether the incident constituted an attempted terror attack, though other explanations including a mental health crisis were also being examined. No official statements regarding the specific circumstances have been issued by Israeli, Saudi, or Emirati authorities.