A flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 bound for Tel Aviv sent two emergency transponder codes on Wednesday, 30 September, plunged sharply and diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Israel scrambled fighter jets, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent security consultations, and his office later said the episode was “not believed to have been a hijacking”, and an Israeli official told Reuters it followed a physical altercation between the pilots. Flydubai confirmed only that flight FZ1073 experienced an “incident” and that all passengers were safe. It is the second major breaking story on this site in a week, after Manchester City were found guilty of almost all 115 Premier League financial charges.
What happened on flydubai FZ1073
Flight FZ1073 was flying from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Flightradar24 identified the aircraft as a Boeing 737 MAX 8, registration A6-FKF. Israeli media reported about 174 passengers on board, though flydubai has not published a figure and the exact count remains unverified.
Timeline (UTC)
The sequence below comes from Flightradar24 tracking data and its published timeline. Israel time is UTC+3.
- 03:05: The aircraft takes off from Dubai. Flightradar24 says it climbed to a cruising altitude of 34,000 feet.
- 05:21: Altitude fluctuations begin.
- 05:22: The aircraft drops more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds.
- 05:31 (8:31 a.m. Israel time): The transponder switches to 7700, the general emergency code.
- 05:38 (8:38 a.m. Israel time): The code changes to 7500, which signals unlawful interference or a possible hijacking.
- 06:11: The aircraft leaves Flightradar24’s ground-based coverage.
- 06:28: A 7700 signal is received again, this time by satellite.
- About 06:45: The aircraft lands at Tabuk. The last tracking signal was recorded at 06:58 near the airport.
According to Reuters, citing Flightradar24, the jet diverted over Jordanian airspace toward Saudi Arabia. It landed at Tabuk Airport (TUU), which flydubai confirmed to AeroTime is Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport.
The security response in Israel
A 7500 squawk on a flight approaching Israel prompted an immediate response. Israeli media reported that two Air Force fighter jets were scrambled. The Times of Israel reported that Israeli authorities were unable to reach the aircraft during the incident. The Israeli military has not issued a statement.
Three Israeli security officials told Reuters that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations over the flight. His office told Newsweek it was “monitoring developments”. Israeli media also reported that Defense Minister Israel Katz took part.
- The landing. Flydubai said the aircraft landed safely at Tabuk Airport (TUU) and that all passengers were safe and accounted for.
- The airline’s position. Flydubai said its teams were working closely with the relevant authorities, and it described safety as its top priority. It used only the word “incident” and has not confirmed a fight, a knife or a takeover attempt.
- Israel’s assessment. The Prime Minister’s Office said the episode was not believed to be a hijacking. An anonymous Israeli official told Reuters the emergency signals followed a physical altercation between the pilots. The office’s wording was hedged, and neither the airline nor Saudi authorities have confirmed the altercation.
What is still unknown
Investigators have not publicly established why the codes were transmitted, and it is not yet clear whether either pilot transmitted them intentionally. No investigating authority has been publicly named.
Unverified reports
Several accounts circulating in Israeli media have not been confirmed by any official source and should be treated with caution:
- A knife. Reuters relayed a passenger’s relative saying her daughter heard screaming and saw a man with a knife on board. Channel 12 quoted a traveler saying a pilot was wounded by a pocketknife.
- A possible attempt to crash the plane. Israeli media citing unnamed officials report that suspicion has grown that one pilot tried to bring the aircraft down, and some reports describe it as a possible terror incident.
- Details about the crew. Outlets have published conflicting accounts of the pilots’ nationalities and of who was in the cockpit. These should not be published.
What to watch next
Several developments will show how the story changes:
- Official statements. Watch for a fuller account from flydubai, the UAE’s civil aviation regulator and Saudi authorities.
- The investigation. Look for an announcement of who leads it and whether the flight recorders are examined.
- The crew. Any confirmation of the pilots’ condition, or of who was in the cockpit, would settle much of the dispute.
- Israel’s classification. The Prime Minister’s Office language could change as security agencies complete their review.
- The passengers. Reports indicate the passengers were waiting to return to Israel, and their onward travel arrangements will be confirmed.
Conclusion
The core facts are settled: a Tel Aviv-bound flight sent emergency codes, diverted, and landed safely with everyone on board unharmed. Israel’s security establishment treated the incident as serious, scrambling jets and convening the prime minister. What it was — a cockpit dispute, a deliberate act, or something else — remains under investigation, and the public should weigh anonymous claims carefully against the sparse official record. The incident follows another major breaking story this week: the fatal shooting of Botev Plovdiv president Iliyan Filipov in Bulgaria.
