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Israel regards Flydubai cockpit incident as attempted attack

The co-pilot is said to have injured the captain and tried to crash the aircraft; Flydubai, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates do not confirm a terrorist motive.

There is news on this story (Wednesday, 30 September 2026, 23:20): Flydubai suspends flights to Israel after cockpit incident

Israel is treating the incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 as an attempted terrorist attack. According to Israeli officials, the co-pilot seriously injured the captain and tried to crash the aircraft, which was carrying about 180 passengers, mostly Israelis. The plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia. The motive has not yet been officially established.

The aircraft, a Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX, was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when a confrontation broke out in the cockpit. The aircraft first transmitted a general emergency signal and shortly afterwards the code for unlawful interference, used in a hijacking. It then diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Both pilots were admitted to a Saudi hospital with injuries; the 174 passengers later flew to Tel Aviv on another aircraft.

The account given by Israeli officials and passengers is as follows: the co-pilot, an Omani man who had worked for Flydubai for less than a year, attacked the Indian captain and seriously injured him. The injured captain managed to open the cockpit door. Two Flydubai pilots travelling as passengers, assisted by cabin crew and Israeli passengers, then overpowered the co-pilot and regained control of the aircraft.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that “all indications” pointed to the pilot wanting to crash the aircraft with its passengers on board. Defence Minister Israel Katz called it “a jihadist terrorist attack” that was thwarted only because of the actions of passengers. According to Israeli officials, they believe this was an attempted attack rather than a mental health crisis. Israel’s intelligence services Shin Bet and Mossad are conducting their own investigation.

That account has not yet been independently confirmed. Flydubai refers to “an exchange of words in the cockpit” and says it is too early to draw conclusions. Saudi Arabia, where the co-pilot has been detained and is being questioned, and the United Arab Emirates, the airline’s home country, have not commented on a terrorist motive. As far as is known, the co-pilot has not been charged. Reports about his background have appeared in Israeli media but have not been officially confirmed.

Initial reports, including the first version of this article, referred to a conflict or fight between the pilots. That account came from an Israeli official shortly after the emergency landing, before passengers had been interviewed. Israel then sent fighter jets into the air as a precaution because a hijacking was feared.

What remains unknown is the co-pilot’s motive, exactly how the attack unfolded, whether he acted alone and whether warning signs were missed when he was hired or during the airline’s checks. The official investigation is being conducted by Saudi Arabia, where the aircraft landed; the Emirates and possibly the US aviation authorities, because Boeing is an American company, may take part. Flydubai has suspended its flights to Israel while the investigation continues.

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