Sunday, 18 Oct 2026 18 Shawwal 2026 AH Beirut
📰 2 sources 3 articles · 30 Sep 2026, 09:38 → 17 days ago

Emergency landing in Saudi Arabia for a plane bound for Israel after a hijacking attempt

A plane bound for Israel had its route diverted to Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing, after a reported hijacking attempt, a distress code, and the dispatch of air force aircraft. Reports refer to Flydubai flight FZ1073 and to a confrontation inside the cockpit, while a doctor on board said three Israeli passengers subdued the Omani co-pilot after he stabbed the captain.

📍 Where things stand: Details of the incident are still emerging; the latest account is the testimony of a doctor on board saying three Israeli passengers subdued the Omani co-pilot who stabbed the captain, a day after the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

⏱️ Timeline

  1. 30 Sep 2026, 09:38 The Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom reported that a plane heading from Abu Dhabi to Israel had its route diverted to Saudi Arabia due to fears of a hijacking attempt, that the plane sent a distress code usually indicating a hijacking attempt, and that air force aircraft were dispatched. More than 100 Israelis were on board, the plane no longer appeared on the flight-tracking app, amid consultations with the prime minister and the defense minister.
  2. 30 Sep 2026, 15:35 A video filmed by a passenger on the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv circulated on social media, documenting scenes inside the plane during its sharp and sudden drop in altitude before its route was diverted and it made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The clip circulated after the incident involving flight FZ1073, following reports of a confrontation between the pilots inside the cockpit coinciding with the plane's rapid loss of altitude.
  3. 1 Oct 2026, 13:56 Dr. Shota Musayev, who was on board the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Israel, revealed details of the plane's hijacking attempt and its emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. He explained that he filmed the medical response for fear that the passengers would be accused, while three Israeli passengers managed to subdue the Omani co-pilot who stabbed the captain.
Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

⚠️ Sources disagree

Flight's point of departure
  • a plane heading from Abu Dhabi to Israel according to المترجم احمد المقادمة
  • Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv (flight FZ1073) according to Lebanon Debate
Figures as each outlet reported them at the time. We do not judge which is correct; numbers often change as events develop.
المترجم احمد المقادمةLebanon Debate

📰 All coverage

📅 2026-10-01
Lebanon Debate 13:56
"I was afraid they would accuse us"... Doctor on Flydubai flight reveals secret of filming
Dr. Shota Musayev, who was on board the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Israel, revealed details of the attempted hijacking and the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. He explained th…
📅 2026-09-30
Lebanon Debate 15:35
Video from inside the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv during its emergency landing in Saudi Arabia
A video taken by a passenger on the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv spread on social media, documenting the scenes inside the plane during its sudden and abrupt loss of alti…
Breaking المترجم احمد المقادمة 09:38
Hijacking fears on flight to Israel: plane diverted to Saudi Arabia and Air Force scrambled
Israel Hayom reported that a flight from Abu Dhabi to Israel was diverted to Saudi Arabia over fears of a hijacking attempt. The plane sent a distress code usually indicating an at…