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oi-Swastika Sruti
An Indian national was reportedly at the centre of the dramatic cockpit struggle aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia after a violent confrontation between the pilots, according to Israeli media reports.
Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an alleged knife attack by an Omani co-pilot on the captain, reportedly of Indian nationality, involving passengers before a safe landing.
The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight was carrying around 174 passengers, including children, when the incident unfolded on Wednesday. Israeli officials said the co-pilot, identified in reports as an Omani national, allegedly attacked the captain with a knife.
The aircraft eventually landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Both pilots were taken to hospital with injuries, according to the airport authorities.
The exact sequence of events remains under investigation. While Israeli officials are examining the incident as a possible attempted terror attack, flydubai has confirmed only that an incident took place and that the aircraft landed safely.
Indian Captain Reportedly Fought Back During Cockpit Attack
There have been reports from Israeli media houses such as Ynet News and Channel 12, that the captain was either an Indian national or had Indian origins.
As per the story, the Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain in the cockpit using a knife while the aircraft was rapidly descending. Ynet reported that it was through the efforts of the captain and other passengers that the attacker did not take over the aircraft. The nationality information has not yet been confirmed by the officials of flydubai and Saudi Arabia.
It has also been reported that passengers were aware of voices raised in the cockpit before they went to the front of the aircraft.
Passengers Rush Towards Cockpit After Hearing Screams
The frightening situation became known to passengers when they heard screams and shouting from the cockpit.
Yasmin Abukasis, the mother of passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon, told AFP that her daughter described hearing a confrontation between the pilots.
According to her account, one passenger went towards the cockpit and saw blood before calling for help. Other passengers then reportedly entered the cockpit area and helped restrain the suspected attacker.
Israeli media reports have also described passengers struggling with the attacker while the aircraft was experiencing a sharp descent.
The reports have not been independently verified in full, and investigators are still working to establish exactly how the cockpit was secured.
Flight Sends Emergency Signals Before Rapid Descent
The incident triggered emergency signals from the aircraft.
Flight-tracking data showed that FZ1073 transmitted the 7700 general emergency code, followed by 7500, which indicates unlawful interference or a possible hijacking. The aircraft later transmitted another general emergency signal.
The plane also experienced a rapid drop in altitude. Reuters reported that flight-tracking data showed a descent of nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal. Other reports have cited a larger overall altitude loss during the incident.
The sudden descent and emergency signal initially raised fears that the aircraft had been hijacked.
Israel Scrambles Fighter Jets As Security Alert Escalates
The unusual flight behaviour prompted a major security response.
Israel scrambled fighter aircraft as authorities tried to determine whether the flight was facing a hijacking or another security threat.
Israeli officials later said their assessment was that the incident may have been an attempted terror attack, although that conclusion remains part of the ongoing investigation. Earlier, an official from the Israeli prime minister’s office had said the incident was not believed to be a conventional hijacking.
Israeli media reports have also carried different accounts of the pilots’ actions and nationalities, underlining that several details remain unconfirmed.
Off-Duty Pilots Helped Land The Aircraft
With the original cockpit crew injured, reports said additional pilots who were travelling on the aircraft as passengers helped bring the situation under control.
The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
Tabuk Airport confirmed that both the captain and co-pilot were hospitalised after sustaining injuries. Passengers were also provided assistance after landing, and a replacement aircraft was being arranged to continue their journey.
The attacker pilot arrested
Netanyahu speaks.
A pilot on an Israel-bound plane stabbed another pilot and “apparently tried to crash the plane”, says Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu:
We are in close contact with the relevant authorities in order to ensure the continuation of the safety of the passengers, in order to ensure their safe return home.
We are prepared for security systems to prepare against additional potential threats.
We are… pic.twitter.com/E0mXvcJGX7
— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 30, 2026
The plane was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when it plummeted 17,000ft (5,200m) in less than two minutes, before landing in Saudi Arabia. One passenger reports “terrible screams throughout the plane” before “three to five guys burst into the cockpit” and subdued an attacker.
Another passenger says “we took control of the flight” from “an assailant with a knife” – meanwhile, two other pilots, sitting at the back, reportedly came forward to land the plane
Netanyahu says the pilot who launched the attack has been arrested. He “salutes the heroes” who “saved may lives and prevented a major disaster”
