flydubai Dubai–Tel Aviv flight diverts to Saudi Arabia after cockpit altercation; other flights unaffected

Update — 1 October 2026: UAE regulator confirms a “security incident” and opens an investigation

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said on 30 September that FZ 1073 experienced a “security incident”, leading to the diversion and an emergency landing at Tabuk, Gulf News reported. The GCAA said some crew members were injured and taken to hospital in Saudi Arabia, and that its investigation teams, working with the relevant authorities, are determining the causes and circumstances of the incident, including its operational and security aspects. It asked the public not to circulate unofficial information or pre-empt the findings, which it said will be published once issued.

flydubai said it could not disclose the pilots’ nationalities, The National reported, and passengers were flown on to Tel Aviv on a replacement aircraft. flydubai’s own statements page carried nothing beyond its two statements of 30 September when we checked shortly after midnight IST on 1 October. The crew’s identities remain unconfirmed by any official source, and we are still not naming them.

The report below is as published at about 11.30pm IST on 30 September.

What flydubai confirms

flydubai flight FZ 1073 from Dubai International to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia on 30 September 2026. In a statement, the airline said “an altercation occurred in the flight deck”, and that the aircraft “was successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport”.

“All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for,” flydubai said. It sent two replacement aircraft to Tabuk, and said the reasons and motives “are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation”, urging all parties “to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts”.

Tabuk airport said both pilots had been admitted to hospital, Al Jazeera reported.

What others have said — not confirmed by flydubai

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one of the pilots stabbed the other and apparently attempted to crash the plane, Euronews reported. Israeli officials have described it as a possible terror attack. Euronews also reported that the pilot accused of the attack was arrested by Saudi authorities. flydubai has not confirmed any of this, and no investigation finding has been published.

Israeli media, and later Indian media, reported that the captain is an Indian national and the first officer an Omani national, The Week reported. Neither flydubai nor Indian officials had confirmed the crew’s identities when we checked, at about 11.30pm IST on 30 September. We are not naming the crew.

Flight-tracking data showed the Boeing 737 MAX 8 descending from about 34,000 feet to below 17,000 feet within a minute, Al Jazeera reported. Reported figures for those on board vary: Euronews reported 174 passengers, including 27 children; The Week put the total at 180. Euronews reported that passengers continued to Tel Aviv on a replacement aircraft the same evening.

Are other flydubai flights affected?

No, according to the airline: “This incident has no impact on other scheduled operations across the flydubai network,” flydubai said. We found no report of flydubai changing flights to or from India. If you are booked on flydubai, check your flight status in the app or on flydubai.com as usual; the airline’s contact centre is on +971 600 544 445.

For other ways through Dubai, see our report on the Air India–flydubai interline agreement.

Sources

This report is based on the following published sources. Rules and schedules change — confirm with the issuing authority before you travel.

• Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026 (statements 1 and 2) — flydubai, 30 September 2026
• Pilot stabbed another in bid to crash Israel-bound Flydubai jet: Netanyahu — Al Jazeera, 30 September 2026
• Israel says pilot tried to crash flydubai plane during cockpit fight — Euronews, 30 September 2026
• Stabbed flydubai pilot is Indian, say reports; terror angle not ruled out in mid-air clash — The Week, 30 September 2026
• GCAA confirms ‘security incident’ on flydubai flight, crew members injured — Gulf News, 30 September 2026
• UAE’s civil aviation authority investigates ‘security incident’ on flydubai flight — The National, 30 September 2026