Israel suspects attempted terror attack after Flydubai flight FZ1073 was diverted to Tabuk
Israeli authorities say a copilot allegedly stabbed the captain; the Boeing 737 sent emergency signals and was diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely.
Israeli officials say they suspect an attempted terror attack after a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on the morning of the incident. Two anonymous Israeli officials told investigators that a copilot apparently stabbed the captain, prompting a struggle in the cockpit and emergency signals that led the crew to divert the Boeing 737 to Tabuk airport.
Flight FZ1073 sent a general emergency alert while flying over Jordanian airspace and then a second signal indicating a possible unlawful interference, according to Flightradar24. Data from the flight shows the aircraft descended roughly 14,000 feet (about 4,250 metres) in under 30 seconds shortly before the first emergency transmission. The plane later transmitted the initial general emergency signal again before landing safely in Tabuk.
Security response and passenger reports
The Israeli prime minister's office said the situation was "under control" and that measures were being taken to return Israeli passengers safely to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had convened security talks earlier, cancelled all public engagements for the day to manage the crisis. Doron Shpilman, a spokesperson for the prime minister's office, told Reuters it was "not believed to be a classic hijacking" and described the event as "a different incident."
Israeli media reported there were about 150 Israeli passengers on board. Video shared by passengers shows scenes of panic inside the cabin and testimony that one pilot was seriously injured while the other sustained lighter wounds after being stabbed. Saudi airport authorities said both pilots were hospitalised with injuries; neither they nor Israeli authorities have publicly identified the alleged attacker.
Flydubai issued a brief statement saying an "incident" occurred on the flight and that the aircraft had been diverted to Tabuk where it landed safely, adding that all passengers were accounted for. Media reports offered varying and sometimes conflicting accounts of the crew's nationalities, with some outlets naming pilots from Oman and the UAE and others reporting Russian and Ukrainian crew members.
The episode has stirred urgent national-security consultations in Israel and comes against a backdrop of closer ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates since normalisation in 2020. Earlier this year Israel supplied Iron Dome systems and personnel to the UAE. Flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, operated daily by Flydubai, are popular with Israeli travellers and often pass through Saudi and Jordanian airspace.
Photo: press material from the event
