Israeli Passengers Foil Terror Hijacking Attempt of Tel Aviv-Bound Flight

Israeli passengers sprang into action and helped save a Flydubai Tel Aviv-bound flight after a pilot allegedly attacked a fellow pilot and attempted to seize control of the plane.

A flydubai commercial passenger aircraft flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to and landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning after what Israeli officials said was an attempted hijacking by one of the pilots.

Flight FZ1073, carrying more than 100 Israeli passengers, landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All passengers were reported safe and accounted for.

According to Israeli officials, one of the pilots allegedly attacked and stabbed another pilot during the flight before attempting to take control of the aircraft. Crew members and Israeli passengers reportedly intervened and managed to subdue the alleged attacker.

During the struggle, the aircraft reportedly dropped approximately 4,000 meters in altitude.

The plane initially transmitted emergency code 7700 before switching to code 7500, the aviation code used to signal unlawful interference with an aircraft, and later switched back to the general emergency code.

An Israeli passenger told The Jerusalem Post that passengers seated toward the front of the aircraft rushed toward the cockpit after realizing that a pilot was being attacked and the plane was rapidly losing altitude.

The passengers reportedly succeeded in removing the alleged attacker from the cockpit, while two other pilots who had been traveling aboard the aircraft were brought forward to take control of the plane. According to the passenger, an Israeli dentist aboard the flight provided emergency treatment to the wounded pilot.

Israeli security officials were investigating the incident as a suspected act of terrorism. Officials said the precise intentions of the alleged attacker remained under investigation, including whether he intended to crash the aircraft or divert it elsewhere.

Initial Israeli reports indicated that the alleged attacker may be an Omani national, although his identity and nationality had not yet been conclusively established. Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev asked the Shin Bet to halt flydubai flights to and from Israel following the reports regarding the pilot’s possible nationality. A Transportation Ministry source told The Jerusalem Post that flydubai’s agreement permitting flights to Ben-Gurion Airport requires pilots operating those routes to come from countries that have normalized relations with Israel.

Tabuk Airport confirmed that the pilot and first officer were both injured and transported to a hospital after landing, but did not specify how their injuries occurred.

The incident triggered an extensive Israeli security response. The Israel Air Force scrambled fighter jets and increased its alert level, according to Walla, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened consultations with senior defense officials. Israeli airspace was temporarily closed before reopening after the aircraft landed safely in Saudi Arabia.

“The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir also canceled a planned trip to the United States amid the unfolding incident. He had been scheduled to meet senior American military officials.

Flydubai said it was arranging for another aircraft to bring the stranded passengers from Saudi Arabia to Tel Aviv.

“Flydubai can confirm that flight FZ 1073 operating from Dubai International (DXB) to Ben-Gurion Airport (TLV) on 30 September experienced an incident while en route,” the airline said, adding that the aircraft landed safely in Tabuk and that all passengers were accounted for.

Israeli authorities continued investigating the alleged attack, including the pilot’s background and whether anyone else was involved. As of Wednesday, there was no evidence that the suspected attacker was acting on behalf of a foreign government or terrorist organization.

Israel’s i24News reported that the co-pilot who was subdued and restrained was of Omani origin, and that two additional pilots on board the aircraft, but not working the flight, were nationals of South Africa and New Zealand.

Dancing at 770 Eastern Parkway celebrating the miraculous incident

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