New Delhi:
A flydubai passenger plane travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an incident involving its pilots, briefly sparking buzz of a possible hijacking and prompting Israel to scramble fighter jets. Video published by Hebrew-language media appears to show the moments after the aircraft reached Tabuk airport. Passengers can be heard singing, clapping and celebrating as the plane comes in to land.
The song heard in the video is “Od Avinu Chai”, a Hebrew phrase that translates as “Our Father still lives.”
בשירת “עוד אבינו חי”: תיעוד מרגעי נחיתת המטוס בסעודיה @akivanovick pic.twitter.com/MmCxbz52ST
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) September 30, 2026
The video could not be independently verified by NDTV.
The flight, flydubai FZ 1073, was travelling from Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates to Ben Gurion Airport in Israel when it diverted to Tabuk, a Saudi city that is home to both civilian and military facilities. flydubai later confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an “incident” while en route and landed safely.
Read | flydubai Flight Drops 17,400 Feet In 2 Minutes Amid Possible Hijack Alert
“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” the airline said. “Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available.”
The carrier said all passengers were safe and accounted for.
About two and a half hours after leaving Dubai, the aircraft abruptly descended from around 33,000ft to 17,000ft within roughly one minute, according to FlightRadar24 data.
What Happened On The Plane
Israeli media, citing security officials, reported that a dispute between the two pilots allegedly escalated into a physical fight in the cockpit. Passengers told Israel’s Channel 12 by telephone that they heard shouting from the forward section of the aircraft, where they understood a fight between the pilots was taking place.
Read | Pilot Tried To Take Control Of flydubai Plane, Terror Attack Not Ruled Out
They also described the aircraft making a steep descent before eventually landing in Saudi Arabia.
According to Israeli media reports, some passengers intervened to separate the pilots. Photos published by the outlets appeared to show a passenger wearing a bloodied T-shirt.
Channel 12 also reported that authorities were examining whether one of the pilots might have attempted to crash the aircraft deliberately, with the other pilot intervening. That claim has not been independently verified.
Neither Flydubai nor the authorities in Israel, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates have publicly confirmed the details of the reported confrontation.
Why Did Israel Scramble Fighter Jets
Initial reports claimed that the aircraft could have been hijacked. Israel believed the incident might have been an attempt to attack Israelis, although the investigation was continuing.
Shortly after the incident was reported, a video surfaced on social media showing a passenger with blood on his face claiming that the plane had been hijacked.
Read | Pilot Tried To Take Control Of flydubai Plane, Terror Attack Not Ruled Out
“We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists, we’re approaching landing. Whoever is hearing me, we need help. We’re landing in Tabuk, apparently in Saudi Arabia. An unknown, unfamiliar area. On the plane, everybody is safe and sound, other than the pilot. We need help,” he said on the video.
Israel then scrambled its warplanes in anticipation of a potential hijacking incident. The possibility of a hijacking was subsequently dismissed, according to Israeli media reports.
