Passengers aboard a flydubai flight that diverted to Saudi Arabia following violence in the cockpit have reached Israel, ending an ordeal that included a sudden descent, an emergency landing and hours waiting for a replacement aircraft.
Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when the incident forced it to land at Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Passengers later continued to Ben Gurion Airport on another aircraft.
Their arrival brought relief, but left urgent questions about what happened behind the cockpit door and why.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft. According to the account he relayed, passengers and a crew member entered the cockpit and subdued the co-pilot after the plane began descending rapidly. Both pilots were subsequently hospitalized, Reuters reported.
Flydubai confirmed an altercation on the flight deck, but did not endorse the alleged motive described by Israeli officials. The carrier said other on-duty employees travelling aboard secured the aircraft and landed it safely.
“At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation,” the airline said.
That distinction remains central to the developing story: Israeli officials have alleged a deliberate attack, while the airline says investigators have yet to establish why the incident occurred.
Passenger accounts describe how quickly the journey changed. Almog Italie told Reuters that the aircraft’s sudden descent initially felt like “massive turbulence,” before he understood that a struggle had taken place in the cockpit.
Flight-tracking information reported by multiple outlets showed a steep loss of altitude. ITV reported that the aircraft descended 17,400 feet in just over two minutes. Such figures describe the aircraft’s movement, but do not independently establish what caused it.
The aircraft also transmitted emergency codes, including 7700, used for a general emergency, and 7500, indicating unlawful interference. Israeli fighter jets were scrambled as authorities assessed the situation, according to reporting by The Times of Israel. The plane ultimately returned to Saudi airspace and landed at Tabuk.
On the ground, Saudi airport authorities arranged medical assistance. Management at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport said the captain and first officer sustained injuries and were transferred to hospital for treatment.
The airport later confirmed that all passengers had departed for their final destination aboard a replacement aircraft, which took off at 5:40 p.m. local time. Flydubai had dispatched two replacement aircraft to assist the passengers and crew.
While waiting in Saudi Arabia, Italie praised the assistance passengers received.
“They’re taking care of us. At the moment, we’re relying on them,” he told Israel’s Channel 12, according to The Times of Israel.
Flydubai said the incident had not affected other scheduled services across its network and that it was supporting the official investigation. The airline urged the public to avoid speculation while authorities gathered evidence.
For the returning travellers, reaching Ben Gurion marked the end of an interrupted and frightening journey. For investigators, the task remains to establish the sequence of events inside the cockpit and the motive behind the violence.
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