Pilot Reportedly Stabbed Co-Pilot in Attempted Hijacking on Israel-Bound Plane

A flydubai passenger flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an apparent physical altercation between the aircraft’s pilots triggered emergency signals and briefly raised fears of a hijacking.

Flydubai Flight FZ1073, operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

The airline said the aircraft had experienced an “incident” while en route to Tel Aviv and was diverted to Tabuk. It confirmed that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for.

According to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24, the Boeing 737 first transmitted the international 7700 emergency code, which indicates a general emergency.

Several minutes later, the aircraft transmitted 7500, a code used to indicate unlawful interference, including a possible hijacking. The aircraft later transmitted 7700 again before diverting toward Tabuk.

The emergency signals prompted a major security response in Israel, including the scrambling of fighter aircraft while authorities assessed the situation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also briefed on the incident.

The aircraft also experienced a rapid descent during the incident. Flightradar24 reported that the plane descended sharply before stabilising and continuing toward Saudi Arabia.

Reports of fight between pilots

An Israeli official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, said the emergency signals were transmitted after the two pilots became involved in a physical altercation.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office subsequently said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking and that the situation was under control.

Passenger accounts have provided more alarming details. One passenger’s mother told Reuters that her daughter heard screaming and saw a man with a knife force one of the pilots to the floor, with blood reportedly visible.

However, Reuters said it could not immediately independently verify photographs circulating online that appeared to show blood on a passenger’s clothing. The circumstances of the reported confrontation remain under investigation.

The Jerusalem Post has separately reported allegations that one pilot stabbed the other and that passengers and additional crew members helped subdue the pilot. Those details have not been independently confirmed by flydubai.

Flight lands safely in Saudi Arabia

After the emergency, FZ1073 diverted from its planned route and landed safely at Tabuk Airport.

Flydubai confirmed that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for, but the airline has not publicly provided a detailed explanation of what happened inside the cockpit.

The incident remains under investigation, and authorities are expected to establish what caused the confrontation, why the emergency signals were transmitted and what happened during the aircraft’s rapid descent.

Flydubai operates regular flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a route that has become popular among Israeli travellers since the UAE and Israel established diplomatic relations in 2020.

PenTalk News will update this report as more verified information becomes available…