Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned Ben Gurion Crash, Probing Security Lapses On Israel-Bound Flights
Israeli officials say the Flydubai co-pilot planned to crash Flight 1073 into Ben Gurion Airport after stabbing the captain midflight, prompting an emergency diversion and an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia on September 30, 2026.[1]
Investigators say the co-pilot used a cockpit crash axe and injured the captain.[2] Officials and passengers say the wounded captain opened the cockpit door and passengers and off-duty crew entered to subdue the attacker before the diverted Boeing 737 Max 8 landed; both pilots were hospitalized.[3] Investigators and officials identified the co-pilot as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami.[4] Flight-tracking shows the jet plunged more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds during the struggle, an extreme descent that helped trigger scrambled fighter jets and Israel's decision to activate airspace-closure and interception protocols.[1]
Oman Air had moved the co-pilot to desk duty in 2024 after security concerns about his online activity, but Flydubai did not check with Oman Air before hiring him, exposing gaps in airline and cross-border vetting.[4] Emirati authorities had shared passenger and crew lists with Israel before the flight, officials say, but Israel's transport ministry says it was not given those lists, creating a dispute over which agency vets foreign crews.[5]
Early accounts focused on a violent cockpit struggle and passengers' heroism in regaining control of the aircraft.[6] By October 5, reporting by NPR and CBS — reflecting investigators' findings and interrogations — had reframed the episode as a premeditated terrorist attempt by an Omani co-pilot who intended to strike Ben Gurion, while investigators continue to probe motive and any links.[7]
Show source details & analysis (20 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, FlyDubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv sent an emergency distress signal that included an “unlawful interference” code, reversed course near the Saudi–Jordanian border and made an emergency landing at Tabuk’s Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport (FlyDubai Flight 1073).
- Passengers, crew and off‑duty pilots say the co‑pilot stabbed the captain during a cockpit struggle, the wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door, and multiple passengers and crew entered to subdue the attacker; both pilots were hospitalized after the Tabuk landing (passengers).
- The UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al‑Shamsi publicly said the co‑pilot used a crash axe in the assault and the Emirati authorities called the episode a “terrorist operation” (statement cited by Hamad Saif Al‑Shamsi).
- Flight‑tracking analyses show extreme, abnormal maneuvers: Flightradar24 and related data indicate the 737 Max 8 dropped more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds and fell from cruising altitudes near 33,000 feet down toward roughly 15,000 feet during the struggle (Flightradar24).
- Investigators and multiple officials identified the co‑pilot as Omani national Hamam al‑Hammami and say he previously was barred or reassigned by Oman Air over extremism concerns before later working for Flydubai (Hamam al‑Hammami).
- By October 5, 2026, an ongoing probe concluded investigators believe the co‑pilot intended to crash Flight 1073 into Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport and that he likely acted alone, though the motive remains under investigation (Ben Gurion Airport).
- Reporting indicates Oman Air had moved al‑Hammami to desk duty in 2024 after he was flagged for visiting radical websites and that Flydubai did not check with Oman Air about his record before hiring, highlighting gaps in airline and cross‑border vetting (Oman Air).
- The incident prompted immediate operational and diplomatic consequences: the UAE canceled all commercial flights to Israel on October 2, 2026, Flydubai suspended Tel Aviv service "until further notice," and Israeli and UAE authorities arranged repatriation flights for stranded passengers (UAE canceled all commercial flights to Israel).
- During the emergency response Israel activated a standing protocol—scrambling fighter jets, closing airspace and standing up a command center—and sources say that had Flight 1073 continued toward Israel and met the protocol’s criteria the prime minister could have ordered the aircraft shot down to protect populated targets (scrambled fighter jets).
📰 Source Timeline (20)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
October 05, 2026
3:54 PM
FlyDubai co-pilot planned to crash jet into Israeli airport, official says
New information:
- An Israeli official says that during interrogations in the United Arab Emirates, the Omani co-pilot told authorities he had planned the attack even before joining Flydubai more than a year earlier.
- The same official says the co-pilot, identified by multiple sources as Omani national Hamam al Hamami, intended specifically to crash the aircraft into Israel's Ben Gurion Airport and had previously flown to Israel.
- Former El Al aviation security deputy Eytan Ben David says that, under Israel's 2023 law and standing guidelines, an Omani pilot should never have been allowed to fly into Tel Aviv because Oman lacks diplomatic relations with Israel, calling the lapse "a huge failure."
- Ben David states that Israel's security system receives advance passenger and crew lists for all flights and that, historically, each person was vetted by a transportation ministry security division, which he says should bear primary responsibility for screening foreign pilots.
- Israeli transportation, domestic security and foreign security agencies have all publicly asserted they were not responsible for vetting foreign flight crews, exposing an apparent gap or dispute over who is in charge of such checks.
- Sources familiar with the probe told CBS News it is possible the co-pilot holds dual citizenship, which could explain how he was cleared to fly to Israel despite his Omani nationality.
- Ben David recounts previously blocking an Iranian citizen from piloting a Turkish Airlines flight into Israel under similar nationality-based rules, underscoring that such interventions have occurred in the past.
2:59 PM
Israel was prepared to shoot down FlyDubai plane, sources say
New information:
- CBS reports that on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, after Flydubai Flight 1073 plunged about 14,000 feet and stopped responding, Israel activated a long-standing 9/11-style protocol, scrambled fighter jets, closed its airspace, and stood up a command center.
- Two Israeli sources told CBS that if Flight 1073 had continued toward Israel and crossed a specified distance threshold, Israeli jets would have entered Jordanian airspace to inspect the cockpit and cabin visually and, if hijacking was confirmed and radio silence persisted, the prime minister could have ordered the plane shot down.
- Sources said the protocol calls for shooting down a rogue aircraft approaching Israel if hijackers remain silent and make no demands, with the prime minister as the sole decision-maker; the calculus weighed several hundred potential ground casualties at targets such as the Azrieli towers or Ben Gurion Airport.
- Israel stood down its jets after radar showed Flight 1073 turn away roughly 400 miles from Israel toward Saudi Arabia, where Saudi jets were scrambled and the plane ultimately landed in Tabuk.
- Israeli sources characterized the attempted hijacking as likely a lone-wolf attack based on an early Israeli investigation, though they stressed that all avenues remain under examination.
- The article says Israel has sent representatives to the United Arab Emirates to take part in the ongoing investigation; the co-pilot is currently in UAE custody undergoing a second round of interrogation after initial questioning by Saudi authorities.
10:53 AM
FlyDubai attacker intended to crash plane into Tel Aviv airport, ongoing investigation finds
New information:
- An ongoing investigation has concluded the FlyDubai co-pilot intended to crash the Dubai–Tel Aviv flight into Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, according to a person familiar with the probe cited by NPR on Monday, October 5, 2026.
- Investigators now believe the co-pilot likely acted alone, though the motive for the attack remains under investigation.
- Authorities in the United Arab Emirates and Israel have formally deemed the cockpit assault an attempted terrorist attack, while still probing motive.
- The flight carried 172 people, mostly Israelis, when the co-pilot attacked the captain with a cockpit crash axe and tried to seize control midflight.
- Flight-tracking analysis from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft descended more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds during the struggle, far faster than normal.
- Passengers and an off-duty pilot entered the cockpit after the injured captain opened the door and helped subdue the co-pilot and land the plane, before an emergency diversion to Saudi Arabia.
- Both the captain and co-pilot survived the incident and have been transferred to the UAE for questioning.
- NPR reports, citing Israeli officials, that the co-pilot is an Omani national, raising questions in Israel about how he was cleared to operate a flight into Ben Gurion given Israel's policy of barring pilots from non-recognition states from its airspace.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Fox & Friends that Israel normally vets pilots on flights to the country and that the attacker appears to have exploited a "loophole."
- Israeli Transportation Ministry and security officials are trading blame over pilot vetting lapses, and Netanyahu announced a formal examination of security procedures for "foreign civil aviation into Israel."
- The article notes Israel is in the midst of a national election campaign that will determine whether Netanyahu remains prime minister, intensifying political fallout over the incident.
October 04, 2026
4:14 PM
AP report: UAE had shared details about FlyDubai flight with Israel, including pilots' names and nationalities
New information:
- Regional officials told AP that before the Sept. 30, 2026 Flydubai Flight 1073 incident, Emirati authorities shared with Israel a list of all passengers and crew, including nationalities.
- Those officials said Israel did not raise any red flags about any passenger or crew member on that list, including the Omani co-pilot later accused of attempting a terrorist attack.
- The Shin Bet said Israel's Transportation Ministry is responsible for vetting foreign passenger lists, while Transportation Minister Miri Regev told public broadcaster Kan that her ministry was not given the list or any warnings.
- Dvir Rubenstien, head of aviation security at Israel's Transportation Ministry, told Army Radio that the ministry relies on foreign airports' local security checks and lacks tools to run checks on every passenger for every inbound flight.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, that Israel has longstanding agreements to bar pilots who are citizens of countries without diplomatic ties to Israel from flying into the country, raising questions over how an Omani co-pilot was allowed to crew the flight.
- Australian police said Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, that counterterrorism investigators are examining the Omani co-pilot's possible connections to Australia.
- Israeli opposition figures, including Democrats party leader Yair Golan, are using the incident to attack the Netanyahu government over alleged systemic security failures ahead of elections later in October.
- The article underscores that despite Oman barring the co-pilot from flying in 2024 for extremist concerns, Flydubai and the cross‑border vetting process failed to flag him as a security risk before he flew 182 people to Tel Aviv.
11:08 AM
FlyDubai co-pilot was likely lone wolf, Israeli investigators believe
New information:
- Israeli investigators now believe the September 30, 2026 Flydubai cockpit attack was likely a lone-wolf operation, though they say the investigation remains active and all avenues are still being explored.
- The co-pilot is undergoing a second round of interrogation in the United Arab Emirates after an initial questioning by Saudi authorities in Tabuk; Israel has sent representatives to the UAE to participate in the investigation.
- Multiple sources identified the co-pilot as Hamam al Hamami, an Omani citizen with a Syrian mother and Omani father, who previously entered pilot training at Oman Air.
- Sources say Omani government surveillance determined al Hamami was visiting radical websites, after which Oman Air removed him from flying duties and reassigned him to an office job; he resigned after being placed on desk duty and left the airline around 2024.
- Investigative sources say al Hamami once posted a video of El Al planes in Dubai that ended with a photo of slain al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
- The article reports that Flydubai hired al Hamami in Dubai without vetting him with the Omani government, according to people familiar with the probe.
- Prime Minister Netanyahu told Fox News that Israel has personal information indicating the co-pilot underwent Islamist radical indoctrination and described him as suicidal, saying he shouted 'Kill me, kill me!' after being subdued.
- President Trump told reporters on Thursday, October 1, 2026, that based on what he was hearing, he believed the co-pilot may be linked to Iran, while noting the U.S. is still 'working on it.'
October 03, 2026
3:15 PM
AP report: Axe-wielding FlyDubai co-pilot had been flagged over extremism concerns
New information:
- Officials identified the co-pilot as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the situation cited on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
- A regional official and another person familiar with the matter said Oman Air had previously barred al-Hammami from flying and moved him to an administrative role over concerns he had adopted extremist views.
- A Gulf diplomat said FlyDubai's vetting of al-Hammami appeared to focus on checking for criminal convictions and did not deeply probe his background for signs of radicalization.
- The regional official said al-Hammami was born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother and had traveled to Syria, though no details of his activities there were given.
- The regional official said security agencies from four regional countries, with assistance from the United States and other Western governments, are investigating his motives and possible links to extremist groups.
- The Gulf diplomat said investigators are trying to determine whether al-Hammami acted alone or had any connection with extremist organizations.
9:18 AM
FlyDubai Co-Pilot Used Crash Ax in ‘Terrorist’ Cockpit Attack, Emirates Says
New information:
- On Saturday, October 3, 2026, UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al-Shamsi said the Flydubai co-pilot used an emergency crash ax to assault the captain and attempt to seize the flight controls.
- Al-Shamsi publicly characterized the incident as a "terrorist operation," marking the first explicit Emirati designation of the cockpit assault as terrorism.
- The article notes that crash axes are typically stored behind the co-pilot on the flight deck, covered but unlocked, indicating the assailant had relatively easy access to the weapon.
- Israeli officials, cited in the piece, maintain that the Omani co-pilot's intent was to crash the aircraft and kill everyone on board, and Netanyahu reiterated in a Friday video message that he believes the co-pilot was radicalized by Islamist ideology.
- Flydubai suspended its Tel Aviv flights "until further notice" following the September 30, 2026 attack, despite having maintained service through years of regional conflict.
- The report adds that the co-pilot has been returned to the United Arab Emirates after the emergency landing and initial treatment in Saudi Arabia.
October 02, 2026
9:20 PM
FlyDubai co-pilot accused of cockpit attack was grounded by Oman Air before joining airline: report
New information:
- A source familiar with the matter told Fox News that the Flydubai co-pilot accused of stabbing the captain on Flight 1073 had been grounded by Oman Air in 2024 after the airline discovered he had been visiting radical Islamic websites.
- The same source said authorities believe the Omani co-pilot moved to Dubai later in 2024 and that he spent a significant part of his life outside Oman, including time with his Syrian-born mother.
- According to the source, Flydubai did not check with Oman Air about the co-pilot’s record before hiring him.
- The Wall Street Journal, cited in the article, reported that the Omani national had previously been banned from flying over concerns he had adopted radical ideological views, although it is unclear whether Omani officials shared those concerns with other countries or airlines.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, October 2, 2026, publicly labeled the cockpit incident as terrorism, saying the attacker had undergone 'Islamic radicalization' and 'came to crash the passengers on board.'
- Netanyahu said Israeli authorities are investigating whether the suspect acted alone or had assistance, while the United Arab Emirates remains the lead investigative authority and has declined to comment on the suspect’s background.
- Aviation security analysts quoted by the Wall Street Journal, referenced in the article, called the episode a significant security failure and questioned how prior warning signs failed to prevent the co-pilot from entering the cockpit.
5:39 PM
Pilot stabbing further unsettles region shaken by U.S.-Iran war
New information:
- On Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, the UAE canceled all commercial flights to Israel, suspending routine travel between the two countries after the FlyDubai incident.
- Israel and the UAE agreed to operate repatriation flights starting Friday to return passengers stranded in the UAE, though El Al said required Dubai landing permits were still being held up earlier in the day.
- Ben Gurion Airport listed Arkia and Israir flights scheduled to arrive from Dubai late Friday and early Saturday, with El Al expected to fly from Dubai to Israel on Sunday.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday reiterated his claim that the Omani co-pilot had undergone 'Islamist radicalization' and said investigators are examining whether he was 'sent,' vowing that anyone responsible would 'pay a very heavy price.'
- President Donald Trump told reporters that early information he has received suggests links between the attack and Tehran, and warned that if Iranian agents are found to be behind it, the United States will 'hit them very hard.'
- A UAE senior diplomatic adviser, Anwar Gargash, publicly labeled the FlyDubai incident a 'dangerous terrorist act' in a post on X and praised the captain for preventing a catastrophe.
- The article provides additional narrative detail on the flight path and cabin experience, including that the Boeing 737 dropped abruptly to about 16,600 feet, then to 15,000 feet after briefly ascending, while passengers heard fighting in the cockpit and children crying that they did not want to die.
1:52 PM
Hero FlyDubai pilot says he was 'fighting for my life' as plane plunged after copilot attack
New information:
- On Friday, October 2, 2026, Capt. Smit Machchhar spoke by phone with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed and gave a detailed first-person account of the cockpit struggle.
- Machchhar said that after being stabbed and knocked to the floor on the September 30, 2026 flight, he could feel the aircraft plunging and decided he had to make a final effort to reach and open the cockpit door despite his injuries.
- He described the jet as having plunged more than 14,000 feet in about 30 seconds before the cockpit door was opened and others entered to help subdue the co-pilot and stabilize the aircraft.
- Machchhar said he was stabbed in the head and severely wounded in an arm, but believes he will fully recover and emphasized that passengers and off‑duty crew "had an equal role" in regaining control of the plane.
- Modi told Machchhar that prayers and chants were offered at temples across India for his recovery and praised his "courage, patience, and presence of mind," saying he had enhanced the honor of 1.4 billion Indians.
- Machchhar said he coped during the attack by praying and chanting the Hanuman Chalisa, crediting his faith with helping him survive the incident.
10:57 AM
FlyDubai pilot tells his survival story in emotional call with Indian leader
New information:
- On Thursday, October 1, 2026, flight captain Smit Machchhar told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video call from his Saudi hospital bed that, after being stabbed multiple times, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and subdue the attacking co-pilot while the aircraft was descending.
- Machchhar said he could feel the aircraft going down, believed it might be his last chance to act, and credited repeated Hindu religious chants and his faith with giving him the strength to get up and open the cockpit door.
- On Thursday, October 1, 2026, the co-pilot of Flydubai Flight 1073 was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates for questioning by Israeli, UAE and Saudi officials, according to an Israeli official cited by CBS.
- An Omani official told CBS News the alleged attacker was born in Oman and currently holds Omani citizenship, though the Omani government has not publicly confirmed his nationality.
- Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel’s information indicates the co-pilot underwent “Islamist radical indoctrination” and that, after being subdued, he shouted “Kill me, kill me!”, characterizing him as suicidal.
- President Trump said at the White House on Thursday, October 1, 2026, that based on what he is hearing he believes the co-pilot does have links to Iran and suggested he could have been working with or for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while noting the investigation is ongoing.
October 01, 2026
12:28 AM
Netanyahu says it is too early to determine motive in cockpit stabbing incident
New information:
- On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CBS Evening News that it is too early to determine the motive of the co-pilot accused of stabbing the captain on the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
- Netanyahu said he does not think the incident was a hijacking and speculated it may have been a suicide attempt based on passenger Yaniv Hayoun's account that the co-pilot was trying to jam cockpit equipment between the two pilot seats rather than fly the plane.
- An Omani official confirmed to CBS News that the alleged attacker was born in Oman, holds Omani citizenship, and is currently being interrogated in Saudi Arabia.
- Netanyahu said he assumes the co-pilot will be moved quickly to Dubai and that Israeli authorities will join the interrogation to determine what happened.
- Israeli officials told CBS News that there were 174 people aboard the flight, refining earlier "about 180" estimates in prior coverage.
- Netanyahu said investigators are examining whether mental health issues could explain the incident and added that while Israel has seen signs Iran and its proxies plan increased attacks on Israelis abroad, it is too early to say whether there was any Iranian involvement.
- Flydubai issued a statement saying the underlying reasons and motives remain unknown and urged all parties to refrain from premature speculation while the formal investigation proceeds.
September 30, 2026
11:00 PM
The Cockpit Stabbing and Terrifying Nosedive That Brought Chaos to Flight 1073
New information:
- The Wall Street Journal provides a detailed first-person account from passenger Almog Italie, who describes the 737 Max entering a steep nosedive that felt like “twenty, thirty seconds of a crazy freefall” before briefly stabilizing and then dropping again on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
- The article names passenger Assaf Regavim as one of the travelers who helped overpower the alleged rogue pilot in the cockpit struggle.
- It reiterates, via Netanyahu’s account as cited by WSJ, that the co-pilot stabbed the captain, the captain fought back and managed to open the cockpit door, which allowed passengers and crew to rush forward and help regain control of the aircraft.
8:00 PM
What to know about the terrifying FlyDubai flight forced to land in Saudi Arabia
New information:
- Article confirms the distress call from FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 was issued at 8:44 a.m. local time on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, about two and a half hours after departure from Dubai.
- It reports that the aircraft descended rapidly from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in roughly one minute before circling near the Jordanian border and then landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, about an hour later.
- Tabuk's Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport stated that both pilots were injured and required hospital treatment following the cockpit struggle.
- Netanyahu, citing a passenger account, said a passenger and a crew member were able to enter the cockpit, allowing other crew members to regain control and land the plane safely.
- Netanyahu wrote on X that the stabbed pilot opened the cockpit door, which enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and prevent what he described as a potential catastrophic mid-air disaster.
- The article underscores that the incident has renewed questions about pilot vetting and cockpit security, noting current global standards for pilot screening and referencing the 2015 Germanwings Flight 9525 crash as a rare but relevant precedent.
5:55 PM
Recounting cockpit struggle on FlyDubai flight, Israeli passengers return home
New information:
- The Christian Science Monitor piece, published September 30, 2026, reports that about 180 people were on FlyDubai Flight 1073, most of them Israeli citizens, when the incident occurred.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is quoted saying that as the plane approached Israel on September 30, 2026, one pilot stabbed the other and "apparently tried to crash the plane," and that the assailant pilot was arrested and is being interrogated by Saudi authorities.
- Passenger Hila Gaier told Israel's Kan radio that after breakfast service, the plane suddenly plummeted, with communications, electricity and seatback screens cutting out as the aircraft repeatedly dived and then leveled.
- Flight-tracker data cited in the article indicate the aircraft dropped abruptly from about 33,000 feet cruising altitude down to roughly 15,000 feet before diverting for an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in northern Saudi Arabia on September 30, 2026.
- Passenger Tzvika Manes recounted that his wife heard screams from the cockpit, that a crew member entered and was thrown out, and that three passengers then "jumped on" the attacker, subdued him and bound him with corded headphones.
- Israel's defense minister Israel Katz called the episode an "attempted jihadist terror attack" he said was thwarted by passengers' heroism, and Israeli media reports cited in the article say the assailant pilot is from Oman.
- The story notes that despite the absence of formal Israel-Saudi diplomatic relations, Netanyahu said the stabbing pilot was arrested and is now being questioned by Saudi authorities after the emergency landing.
4:44 PM
Passengers recount terrifying attempted hijack of Dubai to Israel flight
New information:
- The article specifies that Flydubai Flight 1073 was about two hours into its Dubai–Tel Aviv journey on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, when the violent maneuvering began, shortly before the diversion to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- Passenger Ron Levi describes the plane’s movement as “much worse than a free-fall,” saying the 737 Max 8 rolled sideways and pitched up and down in multiple directions for what felt like 30 seconds to more than a minute.
- Passengers recount that shouting erupted from the front of the aircraft, and some people near the front got up as the situation in the cockpit unfolded.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is quoted describing an Israeli passenger’s account that the passenger and a crew member “broke into the cockpit” and together “neutralized the pilot” who allegedly stabbed the other pilot and tried to sabotage the aircraft’s systems.
- Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon tells reporters she believes the co-pilot tried to murder the pilot in what she calls a suicide attack, saying the plane was “pretty much out of control” and “really on the way to crashing” before multiple people subdued the attacker.
- Another passenger told the Jerusalem Post, as relayed here, that travelers shouted to two off-duty pilots seated at the back to run forward and take control, and that one of them flew the aircraft after the attacker was removed from the cockpit.
- Levi says the period of intense shaking and commotion lasted roughly 10 to 20 minutes from the rear passengers’ perspective before the aircraft’s motion stabilized and rumors spread that it had not been turbulence but a deliberate act.
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz is quoted in this article calling the episode “an attempted jihadist terror attack” and stating that, based on initial information, the attacker’s intent was to crash the plane with all passengers on board.
2:29 PM
Netanyahu says a pilot on a FlyDubai flight stabbed another and apparently tried to crash the plane
New information:
- On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a FlyDubai pilot stabbed another pilot and then apparently tried to crash the aircraft carrying dozens of Israelis.
- Netanyahu said a passenger and a crew member broke into the cockpit as the plane began a steep dive, with other crew members then taking over flying the aircraft.
- He added that Saudi Arabia has arrested a pilot from the flight following the emergency landing in Tabuk.
- Flight-tracking cited in the article says the flight descended from about 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in roughly a minute around two and a half hours after departure, then flew an erratic circle near the Jordanian border before landing in Tabuk about an hour later.
- Passengers described hearing screams for help and an altercation between pilots, followed by a steep loss of control before the diversion to Saudi Arabia.
- The Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk said both the captain and first officer were injured and hospitalized, and that passengers were receiving medical attention from local authorities.
1:35 PM
A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverts to Saudi Arabia after making distress call
New information:
- On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Flydubai Flight FZ 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv issued an emergency alert and made an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- Saudi authorities said they received a distress call from the flight and that both the pilot and co-pilot were hospitalized upon landing after sustaining injuries onboard, without specifying how the injuries occurred.
- Flydubai stated that Flight FZ 1073 'experienced an incident' en route and that all passengers are safe and accounted for, but provided no further detail.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he is holding consultations about the event and 'monitoring developments,' noting many stranded passengers in Tabuk are Israeli.
9:57 AM
Live Updates: Clash in Cockpit Prompts Distress Signal on Israel-Bound Flight
New information:
- On Wednesday morning, September 30, 2026, FlyDubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv sent an emergency distress signal, including an "unlawful interference" code, and then reversed course near the Saudi–Jordanian border.
- Flight tracking data cited in the article show the Boeing 737 Max 8 descended rapidly from 34,000 feet to 15,000 feet in about 12 minutes before leveling off.
- Israeli officials from three government agencies told the New York Times it appears the pilot and co-pilot got into a fight, and that one of them transmitted the distress signal.
- The Israeli air force scrambled fighter jets that turned back before entering Saudi airspace, and the Saudi air force also dispatched a fighter jet to investigate before the airliner landed safely at Tabuk’s civil-military airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on September 30 that the incident was "under control" and that all measures were being taken to return Israeli passengers safely to Israel, with FlyDubai sending another aircraft to Tabuk to complete the trip.
- FlyDubai stated that Flight 1073 "experienced an incident while en route" and that all passengers were "safe and accounted for," saying the airline was working closely with relevant authorities.