Flydubai Flight 1073

2026-09-30T16:42:30Z

2001:67C:2660:425:5:2202:0:20: Hijacking

{{Short description|2026 aviation incident in Saudi Arabia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2026}}
{{Current event|date=September 2026}}
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
| date = {{Start date|2026|09|30|df=y}}
| image = A6-FMP @ DXB, 2022-03-25.jpg
| caption = A [[Flydubai]] [[Boeing 737 MAX|Boeing 737 MAX 8]], similar to the aircraft involved
| summary = Attempted [[aircraft hijacking|hijacking]] resulting in diversion;<br>
Under investigation
| site = Saudi Arabian airspace, near the Jordanian border; landed in [[Tabuk, Saudi Arabia|Tabuk]]
| aircraft_type = [[Boeing 737 MAX|Boeing 737 MAX 8]]
| operator = [[Flydubai]]
| tail_number = A6-FKF
| IATA = FZ1073
| ICAO = FDB1073
| callsign = SKYDUBAI 1073
| origin = [[Dubai International Airport]], [[Dubai]], United Arab Emirates
| destination = [[Ben Gurion Airport]], [[Tel Aviv]], Israel
| occupants = 180
| passengers = 174
| crew = 6
| fatalities = 0
| injuries = 1+
| survivors = 180
}}
'''Flydubai Flight 1073''' was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight operated by [[Flydubai]] from [[Dubai International Airport]] in the United Arab Emirates, to [[Ben Gurion Airport]] in [[Tel Aviv]], Israel. On 30 September 2026, the [[Boeing 737 MAX 8]] broadcast a general emergency code followed by a hijack [[squawk code]], before diverting from its original flight path, and making a successful landing in [[Tabuk, Saudi Arabia|Tabuk]], Saudi Arabia.

== Incident ==
The aircraft, a [[Boeing 737 MAX 8]] with the registration A6-FKF, departed from Dubai at 7:05 a.m. ([[Gulf Standard Time|GST]]) carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children.<ref name="ynet">{{cite news |last1=Ben Kimon |first1=Elisha |last2=Lifshitz-Kliger |first2=Iris |last3=Eichner |first3=Itamar |last4=Tamari |first4=Liran |title=מכות בין הטייסים: מטוס מדובאי לנתב"ג דיווח על חשש לחטיפה ונחת בסעודיה |trans-title=Fistfight between the pilots: A flight from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport reported a suspected hijacking and landed in Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/sjc00c7q5gx |work=[[Ynet]] |date=30 September 2026 |language=he}}</ref> While flying near the border between Saudi Arabia and Jordan, the aircraft's [[transponder (aeronautics)|transponder]] broadcast squawk code 7700, indicating a general emergency, and shortly thereafter broadcast code 7500, which designates "unlawful interference" or a hijacking.<ref name="toi">{{cite news |last1=Fabian |first1=Emanuel |date=30 September 2026 |title=Hijacking ruled out as flydubai flight to Tel Aviv that declared emergency lands at Saudi airport |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hijacking-ruled-out-as-flydubai-flight-to-tel-aviv-lands-at-saudi-airport/ |access-date=30 September 2026 |work=[[The Times of Israel]]}}</ref> The aircraft turned back into Saudi Arabian airspace; according to public flight tracking data, it rapidly descended from an altitude of approximately 34,000 feet to 17,000 feet in less than a minute.<ref name="zman">{{cite news |title=תוך פחות מדקה המטוס צלל מגובה של 34 אלף רגל לכ־17 אלף רגל: כל מה שידוע עד כה על טיסת "פליי דובאי" |trans-title=In less than a minute the plane dived from 34,000 feet to about 17,000 feet: Everything known so far about the Flydubai flight |url=https://www.zman.co.il/live/728948/ |work=Zman Yisrael |date=30 September 2026 |language=he}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-09-30 |title=What we know about the flydubai plane incident |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/what-we-know-about-the-flydubai-plane-incident/ |access-date=2026-09-30 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref> Israeli authorities were briefly unable to establish contact with the flight. Communication was restored shortly after, and the plane landed safely at [[Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport]] in [[Tabuk, Saudi Arabia|Tabuk]], in northwestern Saudi Arabia.<ref name="zman"/><ref name="toi"/>

Based on initial assessments, videos, and eyewitness accounts from passengers, it appears that a fight broke out between the two pilots. The first officer stabbed the captain and allegedly attempted to crash or hijack the aircraft. Israeli passengers managed to overpower and restrain him, while a group of off-duty pilots on board the flight successfully landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia. Upon landing, the first officer was arrested.<ref name=toi2>{{Cite news |date=2026-09-30 |title=Copilot subdued after stabbing pilot in alleged attempt to crash plane full of Israelis |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/copilot-subdued-after-stabbing-pilot-in-alleged-attempt-to-crash-plane-full-of-israelis/ |access-date=2026-09-30 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref>

Pictures taken of the plane after it landed show that most of the rudder was missing, and had likely disintegrated mid-air due to the rapid descent.<ref name=toi2 />

== Reactions ==
Upon receiving the code indicating a alleged hijacking attempt, the Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets. Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] and Defense Minister [[Israel Katz]] held a security consultation, and IDF chief of staff [[Eyal Zamir]] held a situational assessment with the commander of the Air Force and other senior military officials.<ref name="ynet"/><ref name="toi"/> Israeli officials claimed it was an attempted terrorist attack.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cornwell |first=Alexander |last2=Amichay |first2=Rami |last3=Cornwell |first3=Alexander |date=2026-09-30 |title=Israeli officials say diverted flydubai incident may be attempted 'terror attack' |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/diverted-flydubai-flight-israel-was-not-hijacking-incident-israeli-prime-2026-09-30/ |access-date=2026-09-30 |work=Reuters |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260930111831/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/diverted-flydubai-flight-israel-was-not-hijacking-incident-israeli-prime-2026-09-30/ |archive-date=30 September 2026 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In an official statement, Flydubai confirmed that an "incident" had occurred during the flight, noting that the plane landed safely in Tabuk and that all passengers were secure. The airline added that further updates would be provided once verified details became available.<ref>{{cite news |title=Flydubai flight diverts to Saudi Arabia amid reports of pilot fight |url=https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/flydubai-fz1073-diverts-saudi-arabia-7500-code |work=AeroTime |date=30 September 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title="פליי דובאי": לכל הנוסעים שהיו על הטיסה מדובאי לישראל – שלום |trans-title="Flydubai": All passengers on the flight from Dubai to Israel are safe |url=https://www.zman.co.il/live/728939/ |work=Zman Yisrael |date=30 September 2026 |language=he}}</ref> The company also announced it would send two replacement aircraft to Tabuk to fly the passengers to Israel.<ref>{{cite news |title=Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv veers off course, lands in Saudi Arabia after hijacking scare |url=https://www.jpost.com/international/article-910155 |work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=30 September 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260930135321/https://www.jpost.com/international/article-910155 |archive-date=30 September 2026 |access-date=30 September 2026 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayashi |first=Erika |date=30 September 2026 |title=Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026 |url=https://news.flydubai.com/updates-on-fz-1073-dxb-tlv-on-30-september-2026 |website=FlyDubai |language=en |access-date=30 September 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260930132109/https://news.flydubai.com/updates-on-fz-1073-dxb-tlv-on-30-september-2026 |archive-date=30 September 2026 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[2026 in aviation]]
* [[Suicide by aircraft]]
* Similar accidents and incidents:
** [[Alaska Airlines Flight 2059]]
** [[Federal Express Flight 705]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 2026}}

[[Category:2026 in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Aircraft hijackings in Asia]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2026]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 737]]
[[Category:Hijackings in the 2020s]]
[[Category:Israel–Saudi Arabia relations]]
[[Category:Israel–United Arab Emirates relations]]
[[Category:Saudi Arabia–United Arab Emirates relations]]
[[Category:September 2026 in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Tabuk, Saudi Arabia]]

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Flydubai Flight 1073