A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on September 30 after issuing emergency signals. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that one pilot stabbed the other and attempted to crash the aircraft. There has been no independent confirmation of a hijacking attempt. The co-pilot, identified by an Israeli official as an Omani national, was arrested after the plane landed. Israel’s Ministry of Transport announced a joint investigation into the incident with the defense establishment. The nationality of the arrested individual has not been independently verified.
The emergency occurred a day after Netanyahu warned of potential attacks ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. The timeline of events is as follows:
- September 29: Netanyahu indicates that Israel has indications of possible attacks from its “enemies” before the election, without specifying the nature of the threat. Later that night, opposition leader Yair Lapid receives a security briefing from Netanyahu and states that there is “no reason to put the public in a panic.”
- September 30 at 03:05 GMT: Flydubai flight FZ1073 departs Dubai for Tel Aviv, climbing to 34,000 feet (over 10,000 meters), according to Flightradar24.
- 05:21 GMT: The aircraft begins a deep descent, followed by a sharp climb and a second steep descent, reaching approximately 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) by 05:33 GMT.
- 05:28 GMT: The aircraft transmits the emergency transponder code 7700, indicating a general emergency, while flying near the Saudi-Jordan border.
- 05:35 GMT: The transponder changes to 7500, signaling unlawful interference, and the aircraft turns west, briefly entering Jordanian airspace before returning towards Saudi Arabia.
- 05:44 GMT: Air traffic controllers in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia receive a distress call from FZ1073 requesting an emergency landing, with Saudi authorities noting the time as 08:44 local time.
- 06:45 GMT: The plane lands safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, according to local media.
- 06:58 GMT: Flightradar24 receives the aircraft’s final tracking signal at Tabuk airport.
Flydubai reported that the flight experienced an “incident” and was diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely, confirming that all passengers were safe and accounted for. The UAE has not publicly commented on the incident's circumstances.
Later on September 30, Netanyahu stated in a video message that the co-pilot stabbed the pilot and attempted to crash the plane. He mentioned that passengers and a crew member entered the cockpit and restrained the co-pilot. The exact timing of when Netanyahu recorded or released the video is unclear.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid denied any connection between the Flydubai incident and the security briefing he received from Netanyahu, stating, “Nothing even resembling this morning’s plane incident appeared in the security briefing with the prime minister last night.” He accused government-aligned voices of attempting to use the incident for political purposes.
Later that afternoon, footage from international news agencies showed a Flydubai rescue flight arriving at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv at 15:34 GMT, carrying passengers from FZ1073.