Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia on September 30 after a cockpit altercation left both pilots injured and sent the Boeing 737 MAX 8 plunging nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds [2][7][8][12]. The aircraft, carrying 174 passengers — most of them Israeli [11] — transmitted emergency code 7700 followed by hijacking code 7500 over Jordanian airspace before diverting to Tabuk, where it landed at 9:45 a.m. local time [3][13][26]. Both pilots were hospitalized, and passengers were later returned to Israel on a replacement Flydubai flight [21][26].

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one pilot stabbed the other and "apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board" [2][9]. Defense Minister Israel Katz called the incident "an attempted jihadist terror attack" thwarted by passengers who subdued the co-pilot [8][36], and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir described the alleged attacker as a terrorist who planned to kill 180 Israelis [9][22]. The Israeli foreign ministry briefed diplomats that the event was "an attempted terrorist attack against Israelis, the United Arab Emirates, and the Abraham Accords" [12].

Flydubai stated that "an altercation occurred in the flight deck" and that "the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation," urging all parties to refrain from premature speculation [8][27][31]. The UAE's aviation regulator, the GCAA, described the event as "a security incident that was brought under control" [7][28]. Israel's Prime Minister's Office said the incident was not believed to be a hijacking and was under control [6][27], and Israel's Transport Ministry confirmed the diversion resulted from an `altercado entre la tripulación` (altercation between the crew) [10].

Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the government of "cheap politics" and rejected any link between the incident and a security briefing he received from Netanyahu the previous night [2][34]. "Nothing even resembling this morning's plane incident appeared in the security briefing with the prime minister last night," Lapid said [2].

Passengers described a sudden descent. Almog Itali said the flight felt like a "rollercoaster" and fell 17,000 feet in less than two minutes [5][32]. Miryam Shira Ohayon said "the co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane" [2][11]. Yaniv Hayun recounted grabbing the attacker in a chokehold and dragging him from the instrument panel [12][43]. Asaf Rajuan said he acted "without thinking, just running to save your daughter's life, your family's life" [7][28]. Netanyahu saluted the wounded captain, identified as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, for fighting back despite being stabbed and opening the cockpit door to enable passengers to enter [8][12]. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Machchhar as a hero whose courage "helped save hundreds of lives" [8][28]. Two off-duty Flydubai pilots traveling as passengers — one described as British — entered the cockpit and landed the aircraft in Tabuk [12][42].

The co-pilot's nationality remained disputed across Israeli media reports. Three Israeli officials identified the attacker as an Omani national [11], while Channel 12 reported the pilots were Russian and Ukrainian [19]. Russia's consulate in Dubai said no Russian citizens were among the pilots [19][44]. Israeli Channel 14 reported the co-pilot was Omani and the captain Emirati [40], while other accounts named the captain as Indian [8][12].

Transport Minister Miri Regev demanded the suspension of all Flydubai flights to Israel and asked the Civil Aviation Authority to investigate whether the UAE violated a bilateral aviation agreement requiring pilots landing in Israel to hold passports from countries with diplomatic ties to Israel [1][6][37]. Regev called the alleged presence of an Omani pilot a breach of the agreement and requested Shin Bet involvement [13][38].

Tabuk airport stated it received a distress call at 8:44 a.m., declared an emergency, and the aircraft landed safely at 9:45 a.m. with both pilots injured and hospitalized [26][27]. The Saudi National Transport Safety Board announced an investigation into the emergency landing [13][35]. Saudi authorities arrested and interrogated the suspected co-pilot [2][11]. According to two security sources, Israel requested permission to send military aircraft to repatriate the passengers, and Saudi Arabia refused [21][46]. Passengers departed Tabuk at 5:40 p.m. on a replacement Flydubai aircraft [13][27].

Aviation security consultant Philip Baum said the incident illustrates that "the insider threat is probably the greatest threat to civil aviation nowadays," regardless of whether it was terrorism, an argument, or a mental-health breakdown, noting that more lives have been lost to pilot suicide than terrorism since 9/11 [2].

Netanyahu's spokesperson, Doron Spielman, announced that Israel will verify the identity of every pilot flying into the country and conduct security checks [7][15][28]. Mossad chief Roman Gofman ordered an in-depth inquiry into the co-pilot's background and whether infrastructure or direction stood behind the incident [36]. Israeli media reported an assessment via Kan that the attacker was a lone actor with no state or organization behind him [23].

Flydubai suspended all flights to and from Israel for the duration of the investigation [23]. Israeli Foreign Minister Saar said Israel and the UAE expressed mutual determination to strengthen relations and cooperate against extremist elements [8][22]. The Saudi NTSC investigation is ongoing [13][35], and the suspect remains in Saudi custody [2][11].