9/11-style attack averted? Flydubai's Tel Aviv-bound flight plunges 17000 feet in 2 minutes as one pilot stabs another during alleged hijacking attempt

A Flydubai flight bound for Israel diverted to Saudi Arabia after transmitting emergency signals following a fight between the pilots, Reuters reported citing an Israeli official. Flight FZ1073, flying from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv in Israel, diverted over Jordanian airspace as it transmitted several emergency signals, according to the flight tracking website Flightradar24. The Israeli authorities increasingly believe the incident was intended as an act of terrorism, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The Boeing 737 Max 8 plane, which reportedly had around 150 Israeli ⁠passengers on board, landed at Tabuk Airport, a civilian and military base in the northwestern Saudi Arabia. Flight data showed that the aircraft had rapidly descended by nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds before the first emergency signal was sent out, as per Flightradar24.

The Israeli air force dispatched fighter jets after the incident was reported even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent discussions on the incident. An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that a "major disaster was narrowly avoided."


One of the pilots, who is believed to be of Omani nationality, intended to hijack the plane, Israeli sources told the Post. An Israeli passenger on board the flight told the publication that one pilot stabbed another and tried to force him out of the cockpit as the aircraft started losing altitude. A group of passengers fought the attacker, while two pilots seated at the back of the plane took control of the aircraft while it was diving, the report said.

Flydubai confirms incident

A Flydubai spokesperson confirmed that the flight experienced an incident on its way to Tel Aviv and landed safely in Tabuk. The official stated that all passengers were safe and had been accounted for. "Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities," they added. In a statement, ​the Israeli prime ⁠minister's office said the situation was under control and that all steps were being taken to ferry the Israeli passengers to Israel.

In September 2025, a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv had made an emergency landing in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh due to a medical incident, Israeli media reported at the time. Flydubai operates daily return flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a route popular among Israeli citizens. The flight path typically uses the airspace over Saudi ⁠Arabia and ​Jordan.

What happened on 9/11?

On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists linked to the terrorist group al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes and crashed them into targets in the US, including the Twin Towers in New York City and the US military headquarters in Virginia. Nearly 3,000 people died in the coordinated attacks -- the deadliest terrorist incident in history.