Pilot ‘stabbed co-pilot in attempted hijacking’ on Israel-bound plane before passengers overpower him

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A pilot on a flight from Dubai to Israel allegedly stabbed his co-pilot in an attempted hijacking in midair, according to reports.

Israeli fighter jets were scrambled after Flydubai Flight FZ1073 dramatically dropped 17,400 feet in just over two minutes as it veered off course on Wednesday morning, FlightRadar data shows.

A witness told the Jerusalem Post that one pilot stabbed the other before passengers near the front of the plane forced the attacker out of the cockpit. Two other pilots who were onboard at the back of the plane helped land the flight.

Yasmin Abu Kasis, whose ⁠daughter Miriam was on the flight, said that her daughter had told her that she had heard screaming and that a man took a knife, put the pilot on the floor, and that there was blood everywhere. Pictures shared on social media showed passengers with clothes covered in blood.

An Israeli official said a “major disaster was narrowly avoided”, according to the outlet, which reported that the Israeli security agencies including the IDF, Mossad and Shin Bet believe the incident may have been intended as an act of terror.

Flightradar said a an emergency call was made declaring an “unlawful interference” at 05:38 UTC (6:38 BST).

The Boeing 737 ⁠plane then again transmitted the general emergency signal ​before ⁠landing at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, the website said.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was briefed over the incident, which his office said in a statement was "under control," adding that all efforts were being made to bring ‌the Israeli passengers back to Israel.

The office earlier said that the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking, although reports in Israeli media suggest security officials now believe otherwise.

An airline spokesperson said the flydubai ​flight ⁠experienced an "incident" en route to Tel ‌Aviv and diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely. All passengers were safe and accounted for, the spokesperson said, without providing any further details.

An Israeli ‌official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said ‌the pilots had transmitted the emergency signals after getting into a physical altercation with each other. It was not immediately clear if either pilot had intentionally transmitted the signal.

It is not the first time a flight ⁠between Israel and the UAE has landed in Saudi Arabia. A flydubai flight from Dubai to ‌Tel Aviv made an emergency ​landing in Riyadh in September 2025 ‌due to a medical emergency, Israeli media ​reported at the time.

Flydubai operates daily flights between Dubai and ‌Tel Aviv, a route that is popular ⁠among Israeli nationals.

More follows on this developing story....