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, the first officer stabbed captain Smit Machchhar 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]

Aircraft[edit | edit source]

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737 MAX 8, registered A6-FKF, with manufacturer serial number 61013. The plane entered service with Flydubai on 21 December 2022. At the time of the incident, the aircraft was approximately three years and nine months old.[3]

Incident[edit | edit source]

Flight 1073 departed from Dubai at 7:05 a.m. (GST) carrying 174 passengers, among them approximately 150 Israeli citizens[4] and 27 children, and 6 crew members.[5] While flying near the Jordan–Saudi Arabia border at around 9:21 a.m.,[6] it rapidly descended from an altitude of approximately 34,000 ft (10,000 m) to 17,000 ft (5,200 m) in less than a minute.[7][8] The plane briefly rose to 21,750 ft (6,600 m), before plunging back down to 15,000 ft (4,600 m) and turning back into Saudi airspace.[9][10] 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.[11]

Based on initial assessments by authorities and video and eyewitness accounts from passengers, the first officer stabbed the captain, Smit Machchhar, in an alleged attempt to hijack or crash the aircraft, causing the steep dive. Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door after being wounded and "fell out of the cockpit as the other pilot was on top of him, stabbing him," according to one passenger in the front row, Tzvika Manes, who then entered the cockpit along with two other passengers, Yaniv Hayun and Musaev Shota.[12] The three overpowered the first officer, who they say was attempting to damage the flight controls, and removed him from the cockpit.[13] Hayun, a plumber, stated that he pulled back on the yoke to level the plane based on having watched the Canadian docudrama series Mayday.[14] One of two other Flydubai pilots who were also on board then took over; the other was initially in shock.[15][13][16][17] The first officer was restrained with wired headphones while Shota, a dentist, treated the captain's injuries.[18]

Upon receiving the hijack code and being briefly unable to contact the flight, the Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets.[9][10] Communication was restored shortly thereafter and the relief crew declared an emergency at 9:44 a.m. After an hour flying at its new altitude of 15,000 ft (4,600 m), the plane landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia at 10:45 a.m. GST (9:45 a.m. local time).[7][11][19] Photographs taken after landing show that most of the aircraft's rudder was missing; it had likely detached during the rapid descent.[9]

Both pilots were injured and taken to nearby hospitals, with the captain, an Indian national, initially in serious condition after sustaining deep cuts to the head and hands;[20] and later reported to be in stable condition.[21][22] One passenger was also hospitalized, while most others were unharmed, with some only requiring bandages for minor injuries.[23]

Flydubai Flight 1073 altitude and speed

Investigation[edit | edit source]

Upon landing, the first officer was arrested by Saudi authorities.[9] Local authorities questioned the passengers and cabin crew for seven hours.[24] 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.[24] Israeli officials also examined whether he intended suicide.[5]

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 relations.[25]

On 1 October, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that UAE president Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to let Israel participate in the incident's investigation.[26]

Aftermath[edit | edit source]

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.[5][11][27] Israeli officials called it an attempted terrorist attack,[28] while Netanyahu said that it is too early to establish who was behind the attack.[29] 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.[9] Netanyahu also praised Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery following a serious mid-air incident on a Flydubai flight, and announced new security measures in response.[30][31] Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed Netanyahu in his praise of the Captain.[32]

The UAE opened an investigation as to whether the incident was connected to terrorist activity.[33]

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.[34][35] 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.[36] The company also sent two replacement aircraft to Tabuk to fly the passengers to Israel.[37][36]

Following the incident, all Flydubai flights to Ben Gurion Airport were suspended for six days.[38] 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.[39][40]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  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. ↑ "FlyDubai Flight Tracker Fleet". Plane Finder. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  4. ↑ Fabian, Emanuel; Berman, Lazar; Staff, ToI (30 September 2026). "Copilot subdued after stabbing pilot in alleged attempt to crash plane full of Israelis". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 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).
  6. ↑ Moore, Henry (30 September 2026). "What we know about stabbing on Flydubai flight to Israel". BBC. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "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.
  8. ↑ "What we know about the flydubai plane incident". The Times of Israel. 30 September 2026. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 "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.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 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.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 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.
  12. ↑ Baskar, Pranav (1 October 2026). "FlyDubai Passenger Who Helped Subdue Pilot Describes Stabbing Attack in Cockpit". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Eichner, Itamar (30 September 2026). "'I grabbed him, choked him and pulled the controls': Israeli recounts Flydubai cockpit fight". Ynetglobal. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  14. ↑ ynet (30 September 2026). "'I watch Air Crash Investigation': Flydubai hero says TV show helped him take the controls". Ynetglobal. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  15. ↑ Klein, Zvika (30 September 2026). "Why were there two extra pilots aboard during the attempted flydubai hijacking?". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  16. ↑ "Man who helped subdue knife-wielding suspect aboard flight to Tel Aviv honored". ABC News. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  17. ↑ "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.
  18. ↑ "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.
  19. ↑ "مطار تبوك: مغادرة جميع ركاب «فلاي دبي» إلى وجهتهم على متن طائرة بديلة". Okaz (in العربية). 30 September 2026.
  20. ↑ "'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.
  21. ↑ Moore, Henry (1 October 2026), "'Hero' pilot stabbed by other pilot on Israel-bound plane, Israeli PM says", BBC News, retrieved 1 October 2026
  22. ↑ Zanger-Shamir, Maya (30 September 2026). "Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar reportedly aided rescue efforts while wounded | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  23. ↑ 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.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 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.
  25. ↑ "Regev orders flydubai flights to Israel halted over hijacking pilot's Omani background, sources say".
  26. ↑ "Netanyahu: Israel to join flydubai probe, 'we'll find out' whether Iran was involved". The Jerusalem Post. 1 October 2026.
  27. ↑ "Will the flydubai attack save Netanyahu's struggling campaign?". The Times of Israel. 1 October 2026.
  28. ↑ 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.
  29. ↑ "Flydubai pilot investigated over possible attempt to crash Tel Aviv-bound flight". dw.com. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  30. ↑ "Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) on X". X (formerly Twitter). 30 September 2026. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  31. ↑ "Will the flydubai attack save Netanyahu's struggling campaign?". The Times of Israel. 1 October 2026.
  32. ↑ Lama, Prawesh (1 October 2026). "'Prevented 9/11-type tragedy': PM Modi praises flydubai Indian pilot Smit Machchhar's courage, quotes Netanyahu". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  33. ↑ "UAE opening probe into whether flydubai attack had terror motive, was preplanned". The Times of Israel. 1 October 2026. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  34. ↑ "Flydubai flight diverts to Saudi Arabia amid reports of pilot fight". AeroTime. 30 September 2026.
  35. ↑ ""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.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 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.
  37. ↑ 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.
  38. ↑ Eichner, Itamar; Lifshitz-Klieger, Iris (30 September 2026). "Israel suspends Flydubai flights for 6 days after suspected terror attack". Ynetglobal. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  39. ↑ "Israeli airlines to resume Dubai flights after six month hiatus". Globes. 30 September 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  40. ↑ "Netanyahu, Sa'ar speak to Emirati counterparts, vow cooperation after flydubai attack". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 30 September 2026.

External link[edit | edit source]

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