Flight FZ1073 transmitted emergency and unlawful-interference codes before diverting from its Tel Aviv route and landing safely in Saudi Arabia.
TEL AVIV, Israel — A Flydubai passenger jet bound for Israel triggered a major regional security response Wednesday after suddenly losing altitude and transmitting emergency signals associated with a general emergency and unlawful interference before diverting to Saudi Arabia.
Flight FZ1073 had departed Dubai for Tel Aviv when an onboard confrontation between the pilots developed into an aviation emergency. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said one pilot stabbed another and apparently tried to crash the plane. Passengers and crew subdued the suspected attacker, Netanyahu said, and the aircraft eventually landed safely at Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Flight-tracking data provided one of the first public indications that something was seriously wrong. The aircraft began a steep descent from about 34,000 feet and later transmitted the international transponder code 7700, which signals a general emergency. Minutes later, it transmitted 7500, the code used to indicate unlawful interference with an aircraft, before returning to a general emergency signal.
The sequence prompted authorities to treat the flight as a potential security threat while information about the disturbance aboard remained limited. Israel scrambled fighter aircraft as the plane approached the region, according to reports on the government’s response. The Flydubai jet ultimately turned away from its Tel Aviv destination and headed toward Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft landed at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk. Flydubai said the passengers were safe and accounted for after the diversion. The airline described the event as an onboard incident and said the reasons and motives remained subject to investigation.
Netanyahu later gave a more detailed account, saying the suspected attacker had stabbed the other pilot and apparently intended to crash the aircraft. He said passengers and crew members intervened and helped prevent a disaster. Saudi authorities detained the suspected attacker after the landing, while both pilots received medical treatment.
The competing early descriptions underscore the difference between an emergency response and a completed investigation. A 7500 transponder code alerts air traffic controllers to possible unlawful interference, but the signal alone does not establish who was responsible or why an incident occurred. Likewise, the aircraft’s rapid altitude changes show how it moved during the emergency but do not by themselves establish intent.
Israeli officials were investigating whether the incident amounted to an attempted attack on Israelis aboard the flight. Most of the passengers were Israeli, according to Netanyahu. Flydubai, however, said Wednesday that investigators had not yet determined the underlying reason or motive and cautioned against speculation before authorities completed their work.
The diversion also placed Saudi Arabia in a central role in the response. The kingdom has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel, but its authorities handled the emergency landing and took responsibility for the investigation on the ground. Israeli officials began working on arrangements to return the passengers after the aircraft landed.
The incident occurred on a route connecting Dubai and Tel Aviv, a service made possible by the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel in 2020. Wednesday’s emergency showed how an onboard security crisis can quickly draw in aviation, military and government authorities across several countries when a commercial aircraft transmits signals suggesting possible interference.
By Wednesday, the passengers were reported out of danger and the immediate threat had ended. Investigators still faced key unanswered questions, including what caused the cockpit confrontation, whether the aircraft was deliberately placed at risk and what motive, if any, was behind the attack.
Author note: Last updated September 30, 2026.