Flydubai Israel Flight Diverted to Saudi Arabia After Pilots' Fight
Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a reported fight between pilots and emergency signals.
Raja Awais Ali
9/30/20262 min read
Flydubai Flight to Israel Diverted to Saudi Arabia After Pilots’ Mid-Air Fight
A Flydubai flight heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on September 30, 2026, after the pilots were reportedly involved in a physical altercation during the flight. The Boeing 737, which was operating the flight FZ1073, landed safely at Tabuk Airport in the northwestern Saudi Arabia with all the passengers and crew accounted for.
The flight, which was departing from Dubai International Airport to Tel Aviv, was diverted to northwestern Saudi Arabia over Jordanian airspace. According to Flightradar24 data, the aircraft sent an initial general emergency signal before sending another signal a few minutes later about possible unlawful interference. It then sent the general emergency signal once more and landed at Tabuk.
The flight data also displayed an unexpected rapid climb in altitude. The aircraft seemingly dipped by almost 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal was sent. The cause of that sudden decline has not been established independently.
The emergency signals initially triggered concerns about a possible hijacking which prompted a security response in Israel. However, Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office, said that the incident was not a hijacking. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, reported that the emergency signals were sent after the two pilots got into a physical fight. It was not immediately clear if one of the pilots deliberately sent out the emergency messages.
Flydubai confirmed that Flight FZ1073 had faced an incident on its way to Tel Aviv and was diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely. The airline said that all the passengers were safe and accounted for and their teams were working with the relevant authorities. The company did not disclose any further information about the events that unfolded inside the aircraft.
Some passenger accounts suggested that the situation inside the aircraft had been tense. Yasmin Abu Kasis, whose daughter Miriam was on board the flight, stated that her daughter had heard screaming and seen a man holding a knife, who had forced one of the pilots to the ground. She also stated that she had seen blood. Israeli media later published a photograph, which seemed to depict a blood-stained passenger shirt, however, the image could not be independently verified.
The incident resulted in high-level security consultations in Israel as the authorities attempted to decipher what was happening inside the aircraft. Israel’s prime minister’s office stated that the situation was under control and appropriate measures were being taken to organize the return of the Israeli passengers to Israel.
The diversion also resulted in an unusual situation as Saudi Arabia and Israel have no formal diplomatic relations. Nevertheless, the Dubai-Tel Aviv route usually flies over Saudi and Jordanian airspace and has become an important link for Israeli travelers since the United Arab Emirates and Israel established diplomatic relations in 2020. Flydubai operates daily return flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv.
The September 30 incident was not the first time that a Flydubai flight travelling between the UAE and Israel had had an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. In September 2025, another Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv landed in Riyadh due to a medical incident.
For the latest incident, the aircraft has landed safely and the passengers have been accounted for. The main questions that still require clarification are what caused the altercation between the pilots, why the aircraft rapidly declined and how the emergency signals were activated. It is expected that further investigation by the airline and the relevant authorities will unveil more details concerning the incident.
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