Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv issues alert, diverted to Saudi Arabia

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Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv issues alert, diverted to Saudi Arabia

Editorial Team

September 30, 2026

Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv issues alert, diverted to Saudi Arabia — A FlyDubai aircraft, 2025. Photo: FlyDubai.com

Fight between pilots forces FlyDubai jet to divert to Saudi Arabia

DUBAI,— A FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a physical fight broke out between the plane’s two pilots, an Israeli official said.

The Omani co-pilot reportedly tried to kill the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, by stabbing him multiple times with a knife and crashing the plane, according to the latest reports.

Almost all of the passengers were Israeli, and some reportedly helped crew members restrain one of the pilots.

Flight-tracking data and Israeli security sources said the aircraft transmitted the international emergency code 7700 while flying over Saudi Arabia, followed by code 7500, the signal used to report a hijacking or other unlawful interference.

Data reviewed by CNN showed the plane dropped 17,400 feet in altitude, from 34,000 feet to about 16,600 feet, in roughly two minutes at around 1:20 a.m. ET. The emergency signal followed at 1:32 a.m. ET.

The Boeing 737 later transmitted the general emergency signal a second time before landing at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, Israeli media reported.

An Israeli official said the event was not a hijacking, calling it an internal matter involving crew members onboard.

Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office, told Reuters the incident was not believed to be a hijacking, describing it as a “different incident.”

A FlyDubai spokesperson said the flight experienced an “incident” en route to Tel Aviv and diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely, adding that all passengers were safe and accounted for.

About 182 passengers were reported on board.

Yasmin Abu Kasis said her daughter Miriam, a passenger on the flight, told her she heard screaming and that a man holding a knife forced one of the pilots to the floor, and that there was blood everywhere.

Israeli media published a photo purportedly taken inside the plane showing a passenger’s blood-soaked shirt.

GBNews: Flydubai hijack Latest: Israeli officials probe ‘jihadist terror attack’ as flight arrives in Israel

Israel’s prime minister and defense minister held a security meeting over the incident, and an Israeli military spokesperson said fighter jets were scrambled after the emergency alert was received.

The prime minister’s office said the situation was “under control” and that measures were underway to bring Israeli passengers home.

FlyDubai operates daily round-trip flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a route popular among Israeli nationals since the UAE and Israel normalized relations six years ago.

The route normally crosses Saudi and Jordanian airspace. It is not the first such diversion: a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Riyadh in September 2025 due to a medical incident.

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