Flydubai FZ1073: Timeline, the UAE Prosecutor's Statement and What Is Still Unconfirmed

Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia on 30 September 2026 after the captain was attacked in the cockpit, according to the UAE and Saudi authorities, and flydubai says everyone aboard landed safely. As of 3 October 2026, about 13:00 UTC, the UAE’s Attorney-General says the co-pilot used a crash axe and attempted a terrorist act, Israeli leaders have described the incident that way since 30 September, and no charges have been announced. Here is the confirmed timeline, what each authority has said, and what is still unconfirmed.

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 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. Most reports put the passenger count at 174, including 27 children; the counts conflict, as the section on passengers below explains. 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 travelling on the flight “secured the aircraft,” which then landed safely. Reuters and The National describe a reserve flydubai pilot who took control and landed it, and the Indian Express reports two extra flydubai pilots were aboard; reports agree that passengers and crew helped subdue 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. Other reports cite a larger drop, including about 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds (Reuters, citing Flightradar24) and up to around 17,000 feet, with 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.

What has the UAE Attorney-General said about the attack?

On the morning of 3 October the UAE Attorney-General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said the investigation found that the co-pilot attacked the captain on the flight deck with a crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft, and he described it as an attempted terrorist act. The statement was carried by the state news agency WAM and reported by The National, Reuters, AP and CNBC. A crash axe is a tool kept in the cockpit for emergencies.

The statement carries the headline “Planning and attempted terrorist act behind flydubai flight FZ1073 incident.” CNBC quotes the Attorney-General’s post as saying: “The co-pilot began executing his plan during the flight, attacking the captain inside the flight deck using a crash axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft.” The published text does not say what the plan was. He said investigators are still working to establish the circumstances, the motives and any links, and to complete technical examinations and analysis of physical and digital evidence, and that final results will be announced when the necessary procedures are complete.

The statement, as reported, does not name the co-pilot, announce charges, or say what links, if any, have been found. It follows two earlier steps. On 1 October the Attorney-General ordered a specialist prosecution team to examine the circumstances and motives, whether the incident was linked to any terrorist activity or purpose, and whether prior planning or direction was involved. UAE judicial authorities said they have jurisdiction because the aircraft is registered in the UAE. On 2 October Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, wrote on X that the captain had faced “a dangerous terrorist act and a potential disaster.”

On the weapon, the first version of this page followed Netanyahu’s statement and Indian-sourced reports in saying the captain was stabbed. The UAE’s account is a crash axe, and some Indian news reports were still saying “stabbed” on 3 October. We have found no official medical description of the injuries, so each description here belongs to its source.

Was this a hijacking or a terrorist attack?

The UAE Attorney-General now describes the incident as an attempted terrorist act, as Israeli leaders did from the first day, and as of 3 October neither government has published the evidence behind that description or announced a finding on motive. Flydubai’s own statement of 30 September said plainly that “the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation,” and urged against premature speculation; on 2 October its chief executive, Ghaith Al Ghaith, said a full official investigation led by the relevant authorities was under way and should be allowed to establish the facts. After the Attorney-General’s statement, a flydubai spokesperson told Reuters the airline was not in a position to comment further while the circumstances remain under investigation. The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority has called it a security incident. The Saudi Interior Ministry said on 1 October that its preliminary investigation, conducted with a UAE security team, established that an altercation occurred in the flight deck and that the co-pilot assaulted the captain, and that both pilots were injured. It did not address motive or the weapon, and urged the public to rely on official information.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on 30 September 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.” He has since said the co-pilot underwent “Islamist radicalization,” and AP reports he provided no evidence. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called 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. These are allegations by officials, not findings of a completed investigation.

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

The captain, Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, is being treated in a hospital in Abu Dhabi, and the co-pilot has been taken to the UAE, where the investigation is based; the UAE prosecutor has not named him or announced charges. The captain was identified in multiple reports, and confirmed by India’s Embassy in Riyadh, as an Indian national who underwent surgery. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on 1 October that he had been moved to Abu Dhabi for continued care. In a call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2 October, The National reports, he said “In that moment I was fighting for my life” and described getting up despite his injuries; the same report says he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing help in. India’s embassy in the UAE said on 3 October that he “remains under excellent medical care” and “is recovering well.”

Netanyahu identified the co-pilot as an Omani national, and Reuters said he was detained by Saudi authorities at Tabuk. The Saudi Interior Ministry says that after medical clearance both pilots left Saudi Arabia for Abu Dhabi on 1 October accompanied by a UAE security team. A Reuters report, citing an Israeli government official, says Israeli investigators are to take part alongside Emirati authorities in the UAE-led investigation. No authority has publicly released the co-pilot’s name. AP, Reuters, ABC and other outlets have published a name citing unnamed sources, and the spelling varies between them. Because he has not been charged and the UAE has not confirmed it, this article does not repeat that name, and it does not speculate about his background beyond what officials have said on the record.

What has been reported about the co-pilot’s flying record, and what is confirmed?

Several outlets report, citing unnamed officials and people familiar with the matter, that Oman had barred the co-pilot from flying over concerns about extremist views before he joined flydubai, and none of this has been confirmed on the record by Oman, Oman Air, flydubai or the UAE as of 3 October. The Wall Street Journal reported it on 2 October (US time), and AP, ABC and CNN followed with their own sources. The reports give few details: AP’s sources say he was moved to an administrative job at Oman Air and was later hired by flydubai, and they gave no details of the alleged views. Oman’s government had said nothing publicly, according to AP, and Oman Air had not commented. A flydubai spokesperson told AP the airline could not comment beyond its official statements and acknowledged “there are many questions at this stage.” AP says the reports raise questions about how thoroughly the airline vets employees, and flydubai has not answered them on the record. We draw no conclusion from unconfirmed reporting.

Did all the passengers make it home safely?

Yes — all passengers were flown from Tabuk to Ben Gurion Airport on a flydubai relief flight and landed safely on the evening of 30 September 2026. Counts differ by source. Most outlets, including Al Jazeera, say 174 passengers, including 27 children. Flydubai’s CEO statement of 2 October says 172 passengers and crew, and AP says 182 people were aboard. 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 says it suspended flights to Tel Aviv “at the request of the authorities” and “until further notice,” and said it will review the suspension “as more information becomes available.” The Jerusalem Post reported that the announcement followed a recommendation from Israel’s Shin Bet security agency. Emirates also suspended its codeshare on the route (The National). Israeli carriers El Al, Arkia and Israir have been running repatriation flights from Dubai, and Al Jazeera reports that the first, operated by Arkia, reached Ben Gurion Airport at 22:00 GMT on 2 October.

What is still unresolved?

As of 3 October 2026, about 13:00 UTC, several parts of this story remain open. No charges have been announced against the co-pilot. The Attorney-General has referred to a plan but has not said what it was, and has not said what links, if any, investigators have found. No published finding establishes the co-pilot’s motive, and the reports about his record in Oman are unconfirmed. No authority has named him. The captain remains in hospital. Flydubai’s Tel Aviv flights have no announced restart date. We’ll update this article when the UAE prosecution, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Oman or flydubai publish further findings on the record.