Flydubai Flight 1073

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Flydubai Flight 1073
A Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by Flydubai, similar to the aircraft involved
Occurrence
Date30 September 2026 (2026-09-30)
SummaryAttempted hijacking resulting in diversion;
under investigation
SiteSaudi Arabian airspace, near the Jordanian border
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 737 MAX 8
OperatorFlydubai
IATA flight No.FZ1073
ICAO flight No.FDB1073
Call signSKYDUBAI 1073
RegistrationA6-FKF
Flight originDubai International Airport, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
DestinationBen Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, Israel
Occupants180
Passengers174
Crew6
Fatalities0
Injuries6+
Survivors180

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 near Tel Aviv, Israel. On 30 September 2026, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 broadcasted the squawk code for hijacking, diverted from its flight path, and made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

According to passenger reports and the Israeli government, the first officer, an Omani national, stabbed the captain during the flight in an apparent attempt to hijack or crash the plane but was overwhelmed and restrained by passengers and crew. Other Flydubai pilots on board then landed the plane in Tabuk. The incident is currently under investigation by law enforcement agencies from several countries, including Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.[1][2]

Incident

The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered as A6-FKF,[3] departed from Dubai at 7:05 a.m. (GST) carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, and 6 crew members.[4] While flying near the Jordan–Saudi Arabia border, the aircraft turned back into Saudi Arabian airspace. At around 9:21 a.m.,[5] it rapidly descended from an altitude of approximately 34,000 feet to 17,000 feet in less than a minute.[6][7] The plane briefly rose to 21,750 feet, before plunging back down to 15,000 feet. For the next hour, the aircraft remained close to that altitude.[8] Shortly after the initial descent, the aircraft's transponder broadcast squawk code 7700, indicating a general emergency, and shortly thereafter broadcast code 7500, which designates "unlawful interference" or a hijacking.[9] Upon receiving the hijack code, the Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets.[8]

Based on initial assessments, videos, and eyewitness accounts from passengers, it appears that a fight broke out between the two pilots, in which the first officer stabbed the captain, Smit Machchhar, and allegedly attempted to crash or hijack the aircraft. He also allegedly attempted to damage the aircraft's flight instruments.[10] The captain managed to open the cockpit door after being wounded, allowing a group of three passengers to enter and overpower the first officer, who was put into a chokehold and removed from the cockpit by passenger Yaniv Hayun, a plumber with an aviation background. Hayun then took control of the aircraft and leveled it out, before one of two Flydubai pilots seated in the cabin (on board due to the risk of delays pushing the original crew beyond their permitted duty hours), took over; the other was initially in shock.[11][10][12][13] The first officer was restrained after 20–25 minutes and was tied with wired headphones, and the captain was treated by one of the passengers, who was a dentist.[14]

Israeli authorities were briefly unable to establish contact with the flight. Communication was restored shortly thereafter, and the plane landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia.[6][9] The airport said the crew[which?] declared an emergency at 8:44 a.m. and landed at 9:45 a.m. local time.[15] Both pilots were stabbed, with the captain in serious condition after sustaining deep cuts to the head and hands;[16] but was later reported to be in stable condition.[17] A passenger was also hospitalized, while most other passengers were unharmed, with some only requiring bandages for minor injuries.[18] The captain was an Indian national,[19] and the first officer was an Omani national, who had reportedly worked for the airline for less than a year. Under its agreement with Israel, Flydubai was obligated to exclude Omani pilots from any of its Tel Aviv operations because Oman and Israel do not have diplomatic ties.[20]

Photographs taken after landing show that most of the rudder was missing and that it had likely detached in-flight during the rapid descent.[8]

Flydubai Flight 1073 altitude and speed

Investigation

Upon landing, the first officer was arrested by Saudi authorities.[8] Local authorities questioned the passengers and cabin crew for seven hours.[21] An initial assessment from Saudi authorities concluded that the first officer intended to deliberately crash the plane, though they could not yet determine a motive or whether he acted alone.[21] Israeli officials also examined whether he intended suicide.[4]

On October 1, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that UAE president Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to let Israel participate in the incident's investigation.[22]

United States Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin stated there were no credible threats against the U.S. at the moment.[1][relevant?] United States Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed U.S. law enforcement officers were "coordinating very closely with our counterparts overseas".[23][relevant?]

Aftermath

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz held a security consultation, and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff Eyal Zamir held a situational assessment with Omer Tischler, the commander of the Israeli Air Force, and other senior military officials.[4][9] Israeli officials called it an attempted terrorist attack.[24] According to initial reports, the use of Israeli aircraft to return the passengers from Saudi Arabia to Tel Aviv was not permitted. Transport Minister Miri Regev called for Flydubai flights to Israel to be halted; Israeli officials said foreign airlines may not use pilots from countries without diplomatic ties to Israel on the route.[8] Netanyahu also praised Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery after a serious mid-air incident aboard a Flydubai flight.[25]

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.[26][27] A second statement cited "an altercation" on the flight deck, said on-duty crew travelling on the flight landed the aircraft, and called the motives unknown.[28] The company also sent two replacement aircraft to Tabuk to fly the passengers to Israel.[29][28]

Following the incident, all Flydubai flights to Ben Gurion Airport were suspended for six days.[30] The UAE also agreed to longstanding Israeli security demands that had prevented Israeli airliners from flying there, and El Al, Arkia, and Israir announced that they would resume flights from Tel Aviv to Dubai.[31][32]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jaiswal, Priyanka (1 October 2026), "'A hero': Trump hails Indian captain after Flydubai attack", The Times of India, retrieved 1 October 2026
  2. ↑ Peled, Anat (30 September 2026), "Pilot-on-Pilot Stabbing Forces Emergency Landing of Israel-Bound Plane - Netanyahu describes incident as apparent attempt to crash the plane loaded with Israeli passengers", The Wall Street Journal, retrieved 1 October 2026
  3. ↑ Hradecky, Simon (30 September 2026). "Accident: Flydubai B38M near Tabuk on Sep 30th 2026, fight in the cockpit, first officer under investigation for suspected suicide attempt". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Ben Kimon, Elisha; Lifshitz-Kliger, Iris; Eichner, Itamar; Tamari, Liran (30 September 2026). "מכות בין הטייסים: מטוס מדובאי לנתב"ג דיווח על חשש לחטיפה ונחת בסעודיה" [Fistfight between the pilots: A flight from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport reported a suspected hijacking and landed in Saudi Arabia]. Ynet (in עברית).
  5. ↑ Moore, Henry (30 September 2026). "What we know about stabbing on Flydubai flight to Israel". BBC. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "תוך פחות מדקה המטוס צלל מגובה של 34 אלף רגל לכ־17 אלף רגל: כל מה שידוע עד כה על טיסת "פליי דובאי"" [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]. Zman Yisrael (in עברית). 30 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "What we know about the flydubai plane incident". The Times of Israel. 30 September 2026. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 "Copilot subdued after stabbing pilot in alleged attempt to crash plane full of Israelis". The Times of Israel. 30 September 2026. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Fabian, Emanuel (30 September 2026). "Hijacking ruled out as flydubai flight to Tel Aviv that declared emergency lands at Saudi airport". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Eichner, Itamar (30 September 2026). "'I grabbed him, choked him and pulled the controls': Israeli recounts Flydubai cockpit fight". Ynetglobal. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  11. ↑ Klein, Zvika (30 September 2026). "Why were there two extra pilots aboard during the attempted flydubai hijacking?". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  12. ↑ "Man who helped subdue knife-wielding suspect aboard flight to Tel Aviv honored". ABC News. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  13. ↑ "Wounded flydubai pilot used 'last moments of his energy' to click open cockpit door so hijacker could be subdued". The Times of Israel. 30 September 2026. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  14. ↑ "Back in Israel, passengers say midair 'miracles' thwarted alleged attempt to crash plane". The Times of Israel. 30 September 2026. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  15. ↑ "مطار تبوك: مغادرة جميع ركاب «فلاي دبي» إلى وجهتهم على متن طائرة بديلة". Okaz (in العربية). 30 September 2026.
  16. ↑ "'Head, Hands Sliced Open, Almost Severed In Two': Dentist Recalls Stabbed FlyDubai Pilot's Fight For Life". News18. 30 September 2026. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  17. ↑ Moore, Henry (1 October 2026), "'Hero' pilot stabbed by other pilot on Israel-bound plane, Israeli PM says", BBC News, retrieved 1 October 2026
  18. ↑ O'Connell, Oliver; Venkatraman, Sakshi; Donnison, Jon; Shuval, Michael (30 September 2026). "Israel-Dubai flight: Netanyahu names 'hero' pilot attacked on flight as passengers arrive back in Israel". BBC News.
  19. ↑ Zanger-Shamir, Maya (30 September 2026). "Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar reportedly aided rescue efforts while wounded | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  20. ↑ "Regev orders flydubai flights to Israel halted over hijacking pilot's Omani background, sources say".
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Anat Peled; Benjamin Katz; Summer Said (30 September 2026). "The Cockpit Stabbing and Terrifying Nosedive That Brought Chaos to FlyDubai Flight 1073". The Wall Street Journal.
  22. ↑ "Netanyahu: Israel to join flydubai probe, 'we'll find out' whether Iran was involved". The Jerusalem Post. 1 October 2026.
  23. ↑ Altman-Devilbliss, Alexx; Varnier, Julia (30 September 2026), "FlyDubai flight diverts to Saudi Arabia after cockpit stabbing, alleged crash attempt", WLOS, retrieved 1 October 2026
  24. ↑ Cornwell, Alexander; Amichay, Rami; Cornwell, Alexander (30 September 2026). "Israeli officials say diverted flydubai incident may be attempted 'terror attack'". Reuters. Archived from the original on 30 September 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  25. ↑ "Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) on X". X (formerly Twitter). 30 September 2026. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  26. ↑ "Flydubai flight diverts to Saudi Arabia amid reports of pilot fight". AeroTime. 30 September 2026.
  27. ↑ ""פליי דובאי": לכל הנוסעים שהיו על הטיסה מדובאי לישראל – שלום" ["Flydubai": All passengers on the flight from Dubai to Israel are safe]. Zman Yisrael (in עברית). 30 September 2026.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Hayashi, Erika (30 September 2026). "Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026". FlyDubai. Archived from the original on 30 September 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  29. ↑ Stein, Amichai; Genn, James; Bob, Yonah Jeremy; Klein, Zvika (30 September 2026). "Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv veers off course, lands in Saudi Arabia after hijacking scare". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 30 September 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  30. ↑ Eichner, Itamar; Lifshitz-Klieger, Iris (30 September 2026). "Israel suspends Flydubai flights for 6 days after suspected terror attack". Ynetglobal. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  31. ↑ "Israeli airlines to resume Dubai flights after six month hiatus". Globes. 30 September 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  32. ↑ "Netanyahu, Sa'ar speak to Emirati counterparts, vow cooperation after flydubai attack". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 30 September 2026.


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