Israel-bound flight diverted after fight between pilots

An Israel-bound commercial flight operated by flydubai was unexpectedly diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an onboard physical altercation erupted between the pilots in the cockpit. The aircraft, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The incident briefly raised international security concerns and prompted Israel to scramble warplanes before officials confirmed the event was not a hijacking.

Emergency Signals and Flight Trajectory

Flight-tracking data reviewed by Newsweek and provided by Flightradar24 detailed an erratic journey for the Boeing 737 aircraft, identified as Flight FZ1073. According to tracking information, the plane diverted over Jordanian airspace toward Saudi Arabia. Flightradar24 recorded extreme fluctuations in transmitted altitude data as the crew issued a general emergency signal, known as a 7700 squawk code. Aviation experts describe the 7700 squawk code as the mayday of squawk codes, which denotes a general emergency without specifying the exact nature of the incident.

Minutes after the initial general emergency signal, the Boeing 737 transmitted another code indicating possible unlawful interference. The aircraft subsequently reverted to transmitting the general emergency signal once more before finally touching down safely at Tabuk airport, a civilian and military base in the kingdom. Anonymous sources speaking to CNN and Reuters reported that the emergency signals were transmitted after the pilots became embroiled in a physical altercation.

Flight Detail	Information
Flight Number	FZ1073
Route	Dubai to Tel Aviv
Aircraft Type	Boeing 737
Passenger Count	Around 150 people
Diverted Airport	Tabuk Airport

Passenger Accounts and Official Responses

Unverified reports from passengers aboard the flight emerged through Israeli media outlets. An i24 News report stated that a traveler observed a pilot with stab wounds following a brawl in the cockpit, while another passenger told Channel 12 that a pilot was wounded by a pocketknife. Yasmin Abu Kasis told reporters that her daughter Miriam, who was on the flight, heard screaming and witnessed a man take a knife and force a pilot to the floor, leaving blood everywhere. Newsweek has not verified the claims.

A spokesperson for flydubai confirmed that the flight experienced an "incident" en route to Tel Aviv and diverted safely to Tabuk. The airline maintained that all passengers aboard the flight were safe and accounted for, without providing any further details. Israeli defense officials and local media corroborated that the emergency stemmed from a feud between the plane's two pilots.

A regional official briefed on the incident, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that a fight broke out in the cockpit involving the pilots, though the underlying cause remained unclear. A second official confirmed that Israel scrambled warplanes over fears that a plane carrying dozens of its citizens was being hijacked. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned in recent days of unspecified, escalated security threats.

Geopolitical Context and Precedents

The diversion of an Israeli-bound passenger aircraft into Saudi airspace carries distinct geopolitical sensitivities, given that Israel and Saudi Arabia share no official diplomatic relations. Flydubai operates daily flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a route that is popular among Israeli nationals. Flydubai is the lower-cost sister carrier of Emirates airlines.

This event marks the second time in recent history that a flydubai flight on this specific route has landed unexpectedly in Saudi territory. In September 2025, another flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Riyadh due to a medical emergency, according to Israeli media reports at the time.

Following Wednesday's diversion, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that consultations were held and developments were being closely monitored. The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel, Netanyahu's office said. An anonymous Israeli official reiterated that it was not a hijacking incident.

Next Steps and Ongoing Investigations

Investigations into the cockpit altercation are currently underway by relevant authorities. While rare, disputes involving flight deck personnel have historical precedent in commercial aviation; for instance, two Air France pilots were suspended in 2022 after fighting in the cockpit on a Geneva-Paris flight, though it did not have to be diverted and landed as planned.

Israeli authorities are working to repatriate the passengers back to Israel from Tabuk. Pending decisions involve diplomatic coordination to facilitate the safe return of the travelers from Saudi Arabia, alongside official findings from investigators examining how a dispute between crew members escalated to trigger international emergency protocols.