TEL AVIV: Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has alleged that the person involved in the cockpit incident aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 planned to crash the aircraft and kill the Israelis on board, as authorities investigate a dramatic mid-air emergency that forced the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight to divert to Saudi Arabia on September 30, 2026.
Ben-Gvir described the person under investigation as a “terrorist” and credited passengers who intervened during the incident. He said the episode demonstrated the need for stronger security measures on flights carrying Israelis. His account came as Israeli officials examined what happened inside the cockpit of the Boeing 737 MAX carrying around 180 passengers.
“The naive notion that our enemies value life and that we should have mercy on them received another reminder this morning,” Ben-Gvir said, alleging that the individual intended to crash the aircraft and kill those aboard. He also called for continued action against what he described as terrorism across several regional theatres.
The flight, operated by flydubai as FZ1073, departed Dubai International Airport for Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. During the journey, the aircraft transmitted emergency transponder code 7700, followed briefly by 7500, the internationally recognised code for unlawful interference or a possible hijacking. The signals triggered an immediate security response in Israel.
Israeli fighter jets scrambled as aircraft diverts to Saudi Arabia
The emergency prompted the Israeli Air Force to scramble fighter jets as authorities sought to determine whether the aircraft had been hijacked. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz held urgent security consultations, while Israel’s military leadership conducted an assessment involving senior officers.
Flight-tracking information showed the aircraft making a sudden change in altitude and subsequently altering its course. Reports indicated that the Boeing 737 MAX descended sharply during the incident before the situation stabilised.
The aircraft ultimately diverted to Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, and landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport. Flydubai confirmed that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for. The airline said the aircraft had experienced an incident while en route and that its teams were cooperating with the relevant authorities.
Passengers later described confusion and panic inside the cabin. Israeli media reported that screams were heard and that passengers saw blood after an altercation involving members of the flight crew. One passenger told Channel 12 that a pilot had apparently been stabbed with a pocketknife.
Other reports said passengers helped restrain the person involved, while two additional pilots who were travelling as passengers also intervened. A senior Israeli official said their intervention helped prevent what could have developed into a major disaster, although details of the confrontation remain under investigation.
Regev seeks Flydubai suspension
The incident has also triggered a political and aviation response in Israel. Transportation Minister Miri Regev has called for the suspension of all flydubai flights to Israel following the FZ1073 incident, according to Israeli media reports.
Regev has additionally asked Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority to examine whether the United Arab Emirates violated provisions of its aviation agreement with Israel. Reports have focused on provisions concerning the nationalities of pilots permitted to operate flights into Israel.
Israeli media reports have identified the pilot involved as an Omani national, although that detail has not been independently confirmed. If confirmed, the nationality could become relevant to the review requested by Regev because Israel and Oman do not maintain diplomatic relations.
The reported cockpit confrontation occurred while FZ1073 was carrying around 180 passengers, many of them Israeli citizens, on the route between Dubai and Tel Aviv. The aircraft’s emergency signals initially raised fears of a hijacking before officials began examining the possibility that the incident originated from a confrontation between the pilots.
Flydubai has confirmed that an incident occurred aboard the flight but has not publicly confirmed several of the specific allegations surrounding it, including the reported stabbing, the identity or nationality of the person involved, or the alleged intention to crash the aircraft. The airline has said that further information will be provided as confirmed details become available.
The investigation remains focused on establishing exactly what happened inside the cockpit, why the emergency and unlawful-interference signals were transmitted, and what caused the aircraft to make its sudden descent and diversion to Saudi Arabia.
While Ben-Gvir has characterised the incident as an attempted terrorist act, other reporting has described the episode as a violent cockpit confrontation, with the precise circumstances and motive still being examined by authorities.
