Flight carrying Israelis forced to make emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after stabbing

FlyDubai passenger jet forced to make emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, sparking fears of possible hijacking after stabbing reported onboard.

By World Israel News Staff

A Flydubai passenger jet carrying more than 150 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning after an apparent violent confrontation between the pilots triggered distress signals associated with a possible hijacking, prompting Israel to scramble fighter jets.

Flight FZ1073 had been traveling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport when it abruptly changed course and began descending while flying near Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

The aircraft initially transmitted the emergency transponder code 7700, used to indicate a general emergency, before transmitting 7500 — the internationally recognized code indicating unlawful interference with an aircraft, including a possible hijacking.

The signals immediately triggered concern in Israel that the passenger plane may have been seized.

Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled as authorities attempted to determine what was happening aboard the aircraft, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz convened an urgent security consultation.

The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement emphasizing that the matter “is under control,” adding that Israel is working to bring back all of the Israelis passengers stranded in Saudi Arabia.

“Following concerns over an aviation incident, Prime Minister Netanyahu held consultations on the matter and is monitoring developments,” Netanyahu’s office said.

“The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel.”

The IDF’s senior command also conducted an emergency assessment.

“Following reports, the IDF Chief of the General Staff conducted a situational assessment in recent minutes with the Commander of the Israeli Air Force, the Head of the Operations Directorate, the Head of Military Intelligence, and additional commanders,” the military said.

For a period, the aircraft was reportedly not communicating normally with air traffic controllers and disappeared from several public flight-tracking services, adding to fears that an incident was unfolding aboard the plane.

The jet also underwent a rapid descent during the emergency, dropping from approximately 34,000 feet to about 16,600 feet in roughly two minutes.

The aircraft ultimately established contact with Saudi authorities and diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

As the plane approached the airport, Israeli officials increasingly ruled out the possibility of a terrorist hijacking.

According to preliminary reports, the incident centered around a confrontation between the flight’s Russian pilot and his Ukrainian copilot.

There are also unconfirmed reports that one of the pilots stabbed the other during the fight.

Other reports published by Israeli media outlets said that one of the pilots attempted to intentionally crash the plane as a form of suicide.

The aircraft’s rapid descent along with the physical confrontation in the cabin led to confusion and panic among many of the passengers.

“We were either going to crash or be murdered,” one passenger said, according to i24NEWS. “It was like a terrorist attack in mid-air.”

“We heard screams on the plane. Then they opened the cockpit, we saw large amounts of blood, and someone had stabbed the pilot with a pocketknife.”

“We felt like we were about to crash. I screamed, ‘Shema Yisrael.’”