A FlyDubai passenger flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia after issuing an emergency hijacking alert, prompting Israeli fighter jets to scramble and triggering an investigation into an alleged attempt by a pilot to take control of the aircraft.
Flight FZ1073, carrying about 150 passengers, transmitted the internationally recognised 7500 code used to indicate a hijacking or unlawful interference while approaching Israel.
Israeli authorities are investigating claims that a member of the cockpit crew may have attempted to take control of the aircraft and deliberately crash it, according to a senior Israeli official quoted by broadcaster Channel 12.
The official said a potentially catastrophic incident had been avoided and that the co-pilot was being questioned.
“A very serious disaster was averted,” the official said.
“The co-pilot is now being questioned, and indications are growing that he wanted to take control of the plane and crash it with the passengers.”
WATCH: Terrifying footage of the incident, recorded from a passenger window aboard the aircraft flydubai.
– Yedioth Ahronot News. https://t.co/Y4Fp7vUirI pic.twitter.com/ySOKQzuz3l
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) September 30, 2026
The claims have not been independently established and the precise sequence of events inside the cockpit remains unclear.
Israeli fighter aircraft were scrambled after the emergency alert was issued, while flights at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv were temporarily suspended as the incident unfolded.
The aircraft ultimately diverted towards Saudi Arabia rather than continuing to Tel Aviv.
The incident prompted an urgent security consultation involving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, underlining the sensitivity of the episode amid heightened regional tensions.
Accounts from passengers pointed to a chaotic situation inside the aircraft. Some reported hearing screams and described the plane moving violently from side to side before descending rapidly.
One passenger, Noa, told Channel 12 that she believed the pilots had lost control of the aircraft.
“The plane started to move from side to side. We realized that the pilots had lost control because one of the pilots had been stabbed. The plane went down and it was very scary,” she said.
Claims that one of the pilots was stabbed have not been independently confirmed.
Footage shows the landing of the "FlyDubai" flight in Saudi Arabia.
The passengers are singing in Hebrew "Avinu Malkeinu" ("Our Father, Our King"). pic.twitter.com/v3OJAZldWq
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) September 30, 2026
Passengers also described seeing blood and hearing screams during the incident, with some saying they feared the aircraft was about to crash.
The emergency comes at a particularly sensitive time for aviation in the region, where airlines have faced repeated disruption from military activity and security concerns.
For FlyDubai, the episode also highlights the operational risks faced by carriers operating routes into a region where airspace restrictions can change rapidly during periods of heightened tension.
The 7500 alert is reserved for situations in which a crew believes an aircraft has been unlawfully seized or is under threat of hijacking. Its activation can trigger an immediate military response, including the deployment of fighter aircraft to identify and escort the plane.
🇮🇱✈️🇸🇦 Cockpit fight on flydubai flight to Tel Aviv triggers hijack code, steep dive and emergency landing in Saudi Arabia
Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, squawked 7700 (general emergency) and then 7500 (unlawful interference) about 90 minutes… pic.twitter.com/aSkHDc8Rop
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) September 30, 2026
The investigation will now focus on what happened inside the cockpit, including the actions of the pilots, the circumstances surrounding the emergency descent and the reason the hijacking code was transmitted.
For passengers, however, the consequences were immediate: a routine flight between Dubai and Tel Aviv became a mid-air security crisis, with the aircraft ultimately diverted and Israeli authorities forced to suspend airport operations while the situation was assessed.
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