Flydubai Flight FZ1073: Timeline of the Dubai-Tel Aviv Diversion and What's Confirmed

Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia on 30 September 2026 after a violent altercation inside the cockpit, and flydubai says all 174 passengers aboard landed safely. Israeli political leaders have since publicly called the incident an attempted terrorist attack, while flydubai’s own statement says the motive remains unknown and subject to a formal investigation. Here is the confirmed timeline, what each side has actually said, and what is still unresolved as of 1 October 2026.

What happened on flydubai flight FZ1073?

Flydubai flight FZ1073 left Dubai International Airport on the morning of 30 September 2026 bound for Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, then diverted after a struggle broke out inside the cockpit between the captain and co-pilot. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, when it transmitted two emergency transponder codes in quick succession, turned off its planned route, and landed at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Flydubai’s official statement confirms the altercation took place “in the aircraft’s flight deck while the plane was en route” and says on-duty crew “secured the aircraft,” which then landed safely. According to multiple reports, two off-duty flydubai pilots who happened to be traveling as passengers, along with cabin crew and other passengers, helped force their way into the cockpit and restrain the person accused of attacking the captain.

What does flight-tracking data show about the emergency?

Publicly available flight-tracking data shows the aircraft lost more than 14,000 feet of altitude in under 30 seconds, then transmitted a general emergency signal followed about seven minutes later by the transponder code used for unlawful interference. Some other reports have cited a larger altitude loss, up to around 17,000 feet, and slightly different timings; this account follows the figures most directly tied to flight-tracking data.

The landing came roughly an hour after the first emergency signal. Israel says it scrambled fighter jets after detecting the emergency squawk, though the aircraft never entered Israeli airspace.

Was this a hijacking or a terrorist attack?

Flydubai and Israeli political leaders have offered two different, unreconciled characterizations of the incident, and no completed investigation has confirmed either one. Flydubai’s statement says plainly that “the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation,” and has urged against premature speculation. The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority similarly said only that its investigation teams are working “to establish the cause and circumstances of the incident.” Saudi airport authorities in Tabuk said their own investigation is ongoing under standard international aviation-safety protocols.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, by contrast, said in a public statement that “one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and all indications show that he tried to crash the plane along with its passengers,” and praised the captain’s “extraordinary bravery.” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz went further, calling it an attempted “jihadist terror attack” without publicly citing supporting evidence. Israel’s Foreign Ministry separately described it as an attempted terrorist attack targeting Israelis, the UAE, and the wider normalization relationship between the two countries. No independent investigative body has yet issued findings on motive.

Who are the captain and co-pilot, and what is their condition now?

The captain has been identified in multiple reports, and confirmed by India’s Embassy in Riyadh, as Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national who underwent surgery after the alleged stabbing. On 1 October 2026, India’s Embassy in Riyadh and its Consulate General in Jeddah said they were “closely monitoring” his condition at a hospital in Tabuk and described him as stable, while staying in contact with his family. The co-pilot, reported by an Israeli official to be an Omani national, was arrested by Saudi authorities on landing and remains in custody for questioning; no formal charges have been announced, and no authority has publicly released his name. Consistent with the unresolved status of the case, this article does not speculate about his identity beyond what officials have confirmed.

Did all the passengers make it home safely?

Yes — all 174 passengers, including 27 children, were flown from Tabuk to Ben Gurion Airport on a flydubai relief flight and landed safely on the evening of 30 September 2026. Some passengers initially said they were reluctant to board another flydubai aircraft, but did so after Saudi authorities did not approve an alternative Israeli-chartered plane. One 51-year-old male passenger was hospitalized afterward in mild condition with an upper-body injury; no other passengers were reported to have been seriously hurt. Flydubai has temporarily suspended all flights between the UAE and Israel following a recommendation from Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, saying it will review the suspension “as more information becomes available.”

What happens next?

Several parts of this story remain open. Saudi authorities have not announced charges against the detained co-pilot, no government has issued a final finding on motive, and flydubai’s flight suspension has no announced end date. We’ll update this article once investigators — rather than the competing public statements from the parties involved — produce confirmed findings.