AWC FOREIGN DESK, OCTOBER 2026
TABUK — A Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai Boeing 737 carrying over 180 passengers plummeted more than 17,000 feet in under two minutes following a violent cockpit altercation, in what Israeli security officials are investigating as an attempted hijacking and terror attack.
Flydubai Flight FZ1073 en route from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport briefly transmitted transponder squawk code 7500—signaling unlawful onboard interference—after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain with a pocketknife in an attempt to crash the aircraft. The sudden assault triggered a rapid plunge from cruising altitude and sparked panic in the cabin. Off-duty crew and Israeli passengers broke into the bloody cockpit to assist the wounded captain and subdue the assailant, allowing backup flight crew to regain control.
The aircraft made an emergency diversion landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where both injured pilots were hospitalized and Saudi authorities launched a formal security probe. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the crisis was under control and that diplomatic efforts are underway to safely bring the passengers home.
#Flydubai #AviationSecurity #MiddleEast #IsraelNews #CNN
