By Oxford Reporters
A Flydubai passenger aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in northwestern Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent incident reportedly involving two pilots in the cockpit, causing the aircraft to lose thousands of feet in altitude and triggering fears of a possible hijacking.
Flight FZ1073, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was carrying more than 170 passengers when the incident occurred while the aircraft was en route to Israel. The plane was eventually diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, where it landed safely at about 9:45 a.m. local time.
Saudi airport authorities confirmed that the aircraft had transmitted a distress call requesting an emergency landing. The captain and co-pilot were injured and taken to hospital, while passengers were provided assistance at the airport. Authorities said investigations were continuing.
Flydubai also confirmed that an “incident” occurred in the flight deck and said the aircraft was successfully secured by off-duty Flydubai crew members who were travelling on the flight. The airline said all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for, while cautioning against speculation as investigations continued.
According to Israeli officials cited by Reuters, however, the incident involved a physical confrontation between the pilots in which the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and subsequently attempted to take control of the aircraft. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot appeared to have tried to crash the aircraft, but passengers and crew members intervened and subdued him.
Reuters reported that an Israeli official identified the alleged attacker as an Omani national. Netanyahu said the individual was arrested by Saudi authorities and would be questioned there. The motive behind the incident has not been established.
The aircraft’s flight path added to the alarm. Flight-tracking data cited by Reuters showed the aircraft plunged nearly 14,000 feet in about 30 seconds during the incident. Other reports, using different tracking measurements and time intervals, put the loss of altitude at more than 16,000 feet over roughly two minutes.
The aircraft also transmitted emergency transponder codes. It initially transmitted code 7700, the internationally recognised code for a general emergency, before briefly transmitting code 7500, which indicates unlawful interference with an aircraft. The signal prompted Israeli authorities to consider the possibility of a hijacking and scramble fighter aircraft while they assessed the situation.
Passenger accounts provided further details of the chaos on board. One passenger, Miryam Shira Ohayon, told reporters that the aircraft appeared to lose control after the confrontation and that passengers became aware of screams and blood in the cockpit. Other passenger accounts described people helping to restrain the alleged attacker.
Israeli officials initially treated the incident as a potentially serious security threat. Defence Minister Israel Katz described it as an alleged attempted terrorist attack, while Netanyahu praised passengers and crew members who intervened during the confrontation. Israeli authorities also investigated whether the incident could have been part of a deliberate attack.
However, the exact circumstances remain under investigation. Flydubai has not publicly confirmed the detailed allegations concerning the stabbing or an attempted crash, instead describing the event as an incident in the flight deck and urging people to avoid premature speculation. Saudi authorities have likewise confirmed the emergency landing and injuries but have not publicly provided a detailed account of what happened inside the cockpit.
The incident briefly raised concerns in Israel that the aircraft could have been hijacked. According to Reuters, Israeli authorities later said the incident was not considered a hijacking, although the circumstances surrounding the cockpit confrontation remained under investigation.
Despite the dramatic events, the aircraft reached Tabuk safely and there were no reported passenger fatalities. Both pilots were taken to hospital, while Flydubai arranged replacement aircraft to assist passengers and crew stranded in Saudi Arabia.
Investigators are expected to examine cockpit communications, flight-data recordings, crew accounts, passenger testimony and the aircraft’s emergency signals as they seek to establish exactly what led to the confrontation and the subsequent emergency diversion.
For now, the confirmed picture is that Flight FZ1073 experienced a serious incident in flight, transmitted emergency signals, lost substantial altitude and diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely. The more specific claims concerning a stabbing and an attempted deliberate crash remain allegations attributed principally to Israeli officials and are subject to the ongoing investigation.
