A Flydubai aircraft traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday following an emergency declaration, an incident Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later described as a co-pilot stabbing the pilot and attempting to crash the plane. No independent verification of the alleged attack has been made public.
According to data from Flightradar24, Flight FZ1073 departed Dubai at 03:05 GMT, ascending to a cruising altitude of 34,000 feet. Telemetry indicates the aircraft began a significant descent shortly after, followed by a sharp climb and another steep drop, settling at approximately 15,000 feet by 05:33 GMT.
At 05:28 GMT, as the plane neared the Saudi-Jordanian border, it began transmitting the transponder code 7700, signaling a general emergency. Minutes later, the code switched to 7500, which denotes unlawful interference. The aircraft then entered Jordanian airspace briefly before turning back toward Saudi Arabia. At 05:44 GMT, controllers in Tabuk received a distress call from the crew requesting an emergency landing, with local Saudi time recorded as 08:44.
The plane ultimately landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk at approximately 06:45 GMT. Flydubai confirmed the diversion, stating all passengers and crew were safe. The UAE has not yet commented on the specific circumstances surrounding the event.
Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that the co-pilot, identified by an Israeli official as an Omani national, was restrained by passengers and a crew member before being arrested upon landing. He alleged the co-pilot stabbed the pilot in an attempt to crash the jet into Israel. Israel’s Ministry of Transport stated that a joint investigation with the defense establishment would be launched, though the nationality of the detained individual remains unverified by independent sources.
The emergency occurred one day after Netanyahu warned of potential attacks by Israel’s “enemies” ahead of the October 27 elections, without specifying the nature of the threats. Opposition leader Yair Lapid received a security briefing from Netanyahu the previous evening but stated there was “no reason to put the public in a panic.”
Lapid firmly rejected any connection between the incident and his earlier briefing. “Nothing even resembling this morning’s plane incident appeared in the security briefing with the prime minister last night,” Lapid said on X, accusing government-aligned figures of exploiting the situation for political gain.
A replacement Flydubai flight carrying the diverted passengers arrived at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv at 15:34 GMT.
Glad everyone landed safely, but the political theater here is disturbing. Keep the panic separate from the facts please.
How does an Omani national get hired as a co-pilot with no background checks? This needs serious scrutiny.
I am skeptical about this claim without independent verification. It feels very convenient right before the election.
The transponder switching to 7500 confirms unlawful interference. Trusting the emergency landing in Tabuk.