Israel-bound flight diverts to Saudi Arabia after pilot altercation

A flight bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates diverted to Saudi Arabia after transmitting emergency signals following a fight between the pilots, an Israeli official said on Wednesday.

Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted over Jordanian airspace ​towards Saudi Arabia, transmitting a general emergency signal and then another emergency signal that indicated possible unlawful interference several minutes ​later, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

The Boeing 737 plane, which Israeli media said had around 150 Israeli ⁠passengers on board, then again transmitted the initial general emergency signal before later landing at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, the ​website said.

The aircraft’s data appeared to show that it had suddenly and rapidly descended by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 ​seconds before the first emergency signal, Flightradar24 said.

The emergency signals triggered a major security response in Israel, which has no official diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, where the plane landed.

The incident highlighted the potential risks on a route that has become popular among Israeli nationals since the UAE and Israel ​normalised ties 6 years ago.

Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office, told Reuters the incident was not believed to ​have been a hijacking, describing it as a “different incident”.

An airline spokesperson said the flydubai flight experienced an “incident” en route to Tel Aviv and diverted to ‌Tabuk, where ⁠it landed safely.

All passengers were safe and accounted for, the spokesperson said, without providing any further details.

An Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters the pilots had transmitted the emergency signals after getting into a physical altercation with each other.

It was not immediately clear if either pilot had intentionally transmitted the signals.

Yasmin Abu Kasis said her daughter Miriam, who was among the passengers ​on the flight, had told her ​that she had heard screaming ⁠and that a man holding a knife had forced one of the pilots onto the floor, and that there was blood everywhere.

Israeli media published a photo purportedly taken from inside the plane, which ​appeared to show a passenger’s blood-soaked shirt. Reuters could not immediately verify the image.

In a statement, ​the Israeli prime ⁠minister’s office said the situation was “under control” and that all measures were being taken to bring the Israeli passengers back to Israel.

According to Israeli daily Ynet, around 90 minutes after takeoff, while entering Jordanian airspace, the aircraft transmitted code “7700,” the international code for a general emergency.

It later transmitted code “7500,” which is used to indicate unlawful interference with an aircraft, including a possible hijacking.

At around the same time, the plane changed course, returned to Saudi airspace and began flying at a low altitude over the kingdom, according to the report quoted by Anadolu news agency.

After initially heading south, the aircraft turned west while remaining inside Saudi airspace before landing in the kingdom.

Israeli media claimed that authorities were checking whether the distress signal had been activated accidentally because of an argument between the pilot and co-pilot.

The media said the flight crew consisted of a Russian pilot and a Ukrainian co-pilot.

Israeli media reported one of the pilots allegedly “attempted to cause a crash,” while the other pilot managed to thwart the attempt with the help of Israeli passengers.

According to Israeli media, authorities were investigating the identity and background of the pilot who allegedly stabbed the other pilot during the cockpit altercation.

An Israeli official said it remained unclear whether the pilot intended to hijack the aircraft, crash it or carry out a September 11-style attack, but said authorities believed he had attempted to take control of the plane.

Tabuk airport said both the pilot and first officer were injured in the incident and taken to hospital after the aircraft landed, without specifying how they were wounded.

An Israeli passenger told the media that one pilot stabbed the other and tried to force him out of the cockpit as the aircraft began plunging.

Passengers seated near the front then rushed to the cockpit and confronted the attacker, the passenger said.

According to a passenger, the group managed to remove the attacker and get the other pilots into the cockpit, allowing one to take control of the aircraft.

The stabbed pilot was in critical condition, the passenger said, adding that an Israeli dentist on board treated him.

Meanwhile, Flydubai later informed Israeli authorities that a replacement aircraft would be dispatched from Dubai to Saudi Arabia to bring back the Israeli passengers who had been on the flight, Ynet reported.

The Israel Airports Authority, meanwhile, denied reports that the country’s airspace had been closed during the incident.

Flydubai operates daily return flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a route that is popular among Israeli nationals.

The flight path normally uses airspace over Saudi ⁠Arabia and ​Jordan.

It is not the first time a flight between Israel and the UAE has ​landed in Saudi Arabia.

A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Riyadh in September 2025 due to a medical incident, Israeli ​media reported at the time.