A photograph shows the departure hall of Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk on September 30, 2026. (AFP Photo)
A Flydubai plane bound for Tel Aviv was forced to land in Saudi Arabia on Sept. 30 after an “incident,” the airline has said, with Israeli media reporting an altercation between the pilots.
Flight FZ 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv “experienced an incident while en route. The aircraft has landed safely in Tabuk Airport (TUU) and all passengers are safe and accounted for,” the spokesperson for the low-cost carrier said in a statement.
Several Israeli media reported that a fight had broken out between the plane’s pilots, reportedly causing a distress signal to be activated.
The Israeli military scrambled fighter jets after fears of a possible hijacking, with the hypothesis later dismissed.
Israeli media, citing anonymous sources, reported that one of the pilots had attempted a possible suicide by trying to crash the plane, with the other pilot apparently intervening to prevent the crash.
The passengers on board had stepped in to separate the pilots during their altercation, publishing photos of a passenger with a bloodied T-shirt.
Israeli media reported that the pilot who attempted to crash the plane stabbed the other pilot.
Security sources said an investigation into the pilot’s motive was ongoing, adding that the possibility of a terrorist incident had not yet been ruled out.
A dramatic video filmed aboard the plane shortly after the alleged attack showed the captain lying bloodied on the floor outside the cockpit as passengers attend to him. A second crew member appears to be unconscious and tied up next to him.
According to data from the Flightradar website, the aircraft suddenly lost altitude during the flight, dropping from nearly 34,000 feet at 05:21 GMT to less than 17,000 feet at 05:22 GMT.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the premier had held consultations on the matter and was “monitoring developments.”
The incident came just ahead of close-fought Israeli elections due to be held at the end of October.
On Sept. 29, Netanyahu said there were “indications” that Israel’s enemies could try to attack ahead of elections, and was accused of “fear-mongering” by the opposition chief.
