Passengers and crew subdued a co-pilot who stabbed the pilot and sent an Israel-bound FlyDubai aircraft plunging nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, Israeli officials said. The flight diverted to Saudi Arabia, and the passengers reached Israel safely.
The Flight
Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the incident took place. Passengers and crew entered the cockpit and subdued the co-pilot, Israeli officials said. A second pair of FlyDubai pilots aboard the aircraft then landed it safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The attacker’s motive remained under investigation, according to Israeli officials. The base report gives no motive and doesn’t say what led to the co-pilot’s actions. FlyDubai said the reasons behind the event were unknown and warned against “premature speculation.”
The account focuses on the attempted crash, the passengers and crew who intervened, and the diversion. Passengers reached Israel safely after the aircraft landed in Tabuk. The report doesn’t describe injuries beyond the pilot being stabbed or provide further details about the pilot’s condition.
Investigation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would seek to establish why the co-pilot tried to crash the flight and might take part in an investigation. Speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity on the network’s “Hannity” program, Netanyahu said: “We’ll get to the root of this attacker, whether he had accomplices, whether Iran was behind it. I think we’ll find out very soon.”
Asked whether there was any indication of Iranian involvement, Netanyahu said: “It’s too early to say, the attacking pilot is ... now being investigated in Saudi Arabia.” He said he thought the co-pilot would be taken to the Emirates, “where he comes from, or at least where he left, where he flew off from,” and added that Israel would follow the investigation and possibly participate in it.
Israeli officials said Saudi Arabia was investigating the co-pilot. Netanyahu raised the possibility of Iranian involvement, but said it was too early to say whether Iran was behind the attack. The report offers no finding on that question. FlyDubai said the reasons for the incident remained unknown and cautioned against conclusions before investigators establish what happened.
Flights to Israel Halted
FlyDubai suspended flights to Israel after the attempted hijacking, AL-Monitor reported in its Oct. 1, 2026, newsletter. According to the newsletter, the airline halted flights after the incident on the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv route.
The same newsletter said FlyDubai had carried about 2.55 million passengers to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport through August 2026, citing the Israel Airports Authority. The figure covers passengers travelling in both directions and doesn’t say how many flew on individual flights.
These were separate developments reported together. Passengers and crew stopped the co-pilot aboard FZ1073, then FlyDubai halted its Israel flights. Netanyahu said Israel might participate in the investigation, while FlyDubai urged against premature speculation. The co-pilot’s motive remained unresolved in the account.