#JUSTIN: Flydubai Passengers Recall Terrifying Midair Attack As Pilot Was Stabbed During Flight

Passengers aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv described moments of panic after an incident reportedly involving the two pilots forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. One passenger said she heard screams before the cockpit door was opened and that blood was visible inside. She alleged that one of the pilots had been stabbed with a pocketknife. The account was reported by Israeli media and has not been independently verified or officially confirmed by flydubai. The aircraft, Flight FZ1073, eventually landed safely at Tabuk Airport, with all passengers and crew reported safe and accounted for.

The passenger, quoted in a text message by The Times of Israel, said the situation inside the aircraft became frightening when screams were heard from the cockpit. She said passengers later saw blood after the cockpit was opened and alleged that someone had stabbed a pilot. According to her account, crew members and Israeli passengers helped restrain the person involved. She also said passengers feared they might not survive the incident. Another passenger reportedly described hearing screams and seeing one pilot seriously injured before the aircraft appeared to descend rapidly. These accounts remain passenger testimonies, rather than an official reconstruction of what happened.

The incident initially triggered fears of a possible hijacking after the aircraft transmitted two emergency signals while travelling towards Israel. Flight-tracking data showed that FZ1073 first transmitted squawk code 7700, which indicates a general aviation emergency, before transmitting code 7500, which is associated with hijacking or unlawful interference. The aircraft subsequently diverted towards Saudi Arabia and landed at Tabuk. The emergency signals prompted a security response in Israel, including the reported scrambling of fighter jets while authorities attempted to establish what was happening aboard the aircraft.

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Israeli officials later said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking. An Israeli official cited by Reuters said the emergency signals appeared to have been transmitted after the two pilots became involved in a physical altercation. The exact circumstances of the confrontation, including the reported stabbing, remain unclear. Earlier reports based on passenger accounts also alleged that one pilot may have attempted to take control of the aircraft or cause it to crash before being stopped, but those claims had not been independently verified. Authorities have therefore not established publicly whether the reported stabbing occurred exactly as described by passengers or what led to the confrontation.

Flight-tracking data also showed a dramatic change in the aircraft’s altitude during the incident. Reuters reported that the Boeing 737 descended by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal was transmitted. Passengers separately described the aircraft as appearing to dive, adding to the panic in the cabin. However, the flight data only establishes the aircraft’s movement and does not by itself explain why the descent occurred. Investigators will need to establish the connection between the reported cockpit confrontation, the emergency signals and the change in altitude.

flydubai confirmed that Flight FZ1073, operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport, experienced an incident while en route and diverted to Tabuk. The airline said the aircraft landed safely and that all passengers were safe and accounted for, while its teams were working with the relevant authorities. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office also said the incident was under control and that measures were being taken to return Israeli passengers safely to Israel. With the aircraft safely on the ground, the focus has shifted to determining what happened inside the cockpit and why the flight was forced to divert.

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