FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv diverts to Saudi Arabia after co-pilot stabs captain

In-flight emergency over Jordan

FlyDubai flight FZ1073 departed Dubai International Airport at 07:05 on Wednesday, carrying over 174 passengers, including 27 children, on a scheduled morning flight to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. The Boeing 737 was scheduled to arrive in Israel at approximately 09:30. Roughly 90 minutes into the journey, as the aircraft approached the boundary of Jordanian airspace, the transponder transmitted code 7700 to indicate a general emergency. Minutes later, the transponder code was changed to 7500, the international squawk code designating unlawful interference or an attempted hijacking.

Violent struggle inside the cockpit

The emergency squawk codes followed a sudden confrontation at the flight controls. Israeli media reported that the co-pilot, an Omani citizen, attacked the Emirati captain with a small pocketknife and attempted to seize control to crash the aircraft. Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 recorded a steep dive, with the airliner dropping from an altitude of 9,400 metres to 5,100 metres in 29 seconds while accelerating. The aircraft briefly climbed back to roughly 6,000 metres before descending below 4,000 metres.

Cabin crew members and passengers, aided by off-duty pilots travelling aboard the flight in civilian clothing, forced open the cockpit door to restrain the co-pilot. Passengers witnessed blood on the shirts of those who intervened to subdue the attacker.

It was very distressing. We understood that the pilot was stabbed and the plane started to plunge. The plane began to move from side to side. We realized the pilots had lost control because one of them had been stabbed. The plane descended quickly and it was really scary.

Israeli military alert and government response

The transmission of the hijacking signal triggered immediate security protocols in Israel. The Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets toward the aircraft's projected flight path over concerns for the passengers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz convened an urgent situation assessment meeting. Security bodies, including the Israel Defense Forces, Shin Bet, Mossad, the Israel Police, and the National Security Council, monitored the flight.

We are preparing for any scenario.

Safe diversion to Tabuk Airport

After subduing the attacker, the crew diverted the Boeing 737 away from Jordan and turned toward Saudi Arabian airspace. The airliner landed safely at Tabuk Airport, a civil and military airfield located in north-western Saudi Arabia. Upon touchdown, passengers applauded and sang the traditional Hebrew prayer Avinu Malkeinu on board.

FlyDubai confirmed that the aircraft experienced an in-flight incident and stated that all passengers and crew arrived safely on the ground. Saudi authorities took the co-pilot into custody for interrogation. Early reports had suggested the cockpit crew held Russian and Ukrainian nationalities, but Israeli reporting subsequently confirmed the pilots were Omani and Emirati. Israeli authorities and regional security agencies are continuing investigations into the motive behind the assault.