An attempted in-flight hijacking is aviation’s nightmare scenario because it compresses decisions into minutes. On September 30, 2026, that fear became very real on a Flydubai passenger flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, when Israeli officials said one of the pilots stabbed his co-pilot and attempted to hijack the aircraft.
The plane diverted and landed in Saudi Arabia. An Israeli official said a “major disaster was narrowly avoided” amid fears the pilot may have intended to crash the plane. Flydubai confirmed an incident involving a flight deck “altercation,” said the aircraft was secured by the onboard crew, and stated that the underlying reasons and motives were unknown and would be examined in a formal investigation.
Flydubai said the aircraft landed safely in Tabuk and that all passengers were safe and accounted for.
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What we know
The aircraft was operating as flight FZ1073 and carried 174 passengers. Israeli media later reported that 166 of the passengers onboard were Israelis.
As the event unfolded, the aircraft transmitted transponder code 7700 (general emergency), then 7500 (unlawful interference), and later returned to 7700.
Israeli officials described a violent struggle connected to the cockpit that included a stabbing. The Israeli security establishment’s assessment, including the IDF, Mossad, and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), was that the incident was intended as an act of terror. During the altercation, an Israeli official said the aircraft plunged about 4,000 meters.
One Israeli passenger said one pilot stabbed another and tried to force him out of the cockpit as the aircraft began to plunge. The passenger said Israelis seated near the front rushed to the cockpit and fought the attacker while the plane was diving. Two other pilots seated at the back initially appeared to be in shock. “I shouted at them to run and take control of the plane,” the passenger said.
According to the passenger, the group removed the attacker from the cockpit and got the two other pilots inside. One took control of the aircraft, while the other took longer to recover from the shock. The passenger described the stabbed pilot as being in critical condition and said an Israeli dentist onboard treated him and saved his life.
A statement released by Tabuk airport confirmed that both the pilot and first officer were wounded in the incident and later transferred to hospital for medical treatment after the plane landed. The statement did not clarify the cause of their wounds.
Yasmin Abu Kasis, whose daughter Miriam was on the flight, said her daughter told her she heard screaming and that “a man took a knife, put the pilot on the floor, and that there was blood everywhere.”
What officials did
As the incident unfolded, Israeli media reported that the Israel Air Force scrambled fighter jets in preparation for a possible emergency and raised its alert level.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security meeting with defense officials. “The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Israeli sources later said the UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan spoke with Netanyahu after the hijacking attempt.
Israeli airspace was temporarily closed and later reopened after the plane landed in Saudi Arabia.
Investigation focus
Authorities were investigating what happened aboard the flight, including the identity and background of the pilot who allegedly stabbed the other pilot.
An Israeli official said it remained unclear what the pilot was attempting to do, whether he intended to hijack the plane to Israel, crash it into the ground, or carry out a September 11-style attack. What was clear, the official said, was that he wanted to hijack the aircraft.
Israeli sources said initial investigations suggested the suspected hijacker was believed to be of Omani nationality.
Israeli security sources said that, as of Wednesday evening, they believed the suspected hijacker was a single terrorist acting alone, with no ties to Iran or another terror group. There was currently no evidence suggesting the suspected hijacker had backing from a foreign actor.
Flights and crew rules
A Transportation Ministry source said Flydubai’s deal with Israel to permit the airline to fly in and out of Ben-Gurion Airport states that pilots must be from countries that have normalized relations with Israel. Oman does not have normalized relations with Israel.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev requested that Shin Bet halt all Flydubai flights entering and exiting the country, due to unconfirmed reports that the pilot responsible for the incident was of Omani origin.
Returning passengers
Flydubai said two replacement aircraft were sent to pick up the affected passengers and crew, and asked the public to “refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts.”
Shortly before 4 p.m. on Wednesday, a Flydubai plane sent to return the Israelis to Tel Aviv landed in Saudi Arabia, but most passengers initially refused to board, citing concerns that neither the aircraft nor the pilot were Israeli, eyewitnesses said. The eyewitness described a fearful atmosphere, with children crying.
Later on Wednesday, the Mossad and Shin Bet approved the Flydubai rescue flight’s crew, and all passengers returned to Israel.
Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir also considered dispatching Israeli military or civilian aircraft to bring the Israelis home. Zamir canceled his planned trip to the US due to the ongoing situation.
Political reaction
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for Israel to “address the intent and not the results.”
“Whoever tried to crash a plane and murder 180 Israelis must pay as if he murdered. He and every state or terrorist organization that sent him,” he wrote. Israeli security sources, however, said there was currently no evidence suggesting backing from a foreign actor.
Where things stand
By the end of the day, the plane had landed safely in Tabuk and passengers were reported safe and accounted for. Flydubai said the motives were unknown and subject to a formal investigation, while Israeli officials said the attempted hijacking was treated as potentially terror-related.