On Wednesday, September 30th, a passenger plane from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israel, operated by Dubai Airline, issued multiple emergency signals during the flight, prompting concerns of a hijacking. Israeli authorities also scrambled fighter jets in response. The plane eventually landed safely at Tabuk Airport in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. Israeli officials stated that the incident was triggered by a physical altercation between two pilots.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that Dubai Airline flight FZ1073 was originally bound for Tel Aviv from Dubai but veered towards Saudi Arabia once it reached Jordanian airspace. The aircraft first issued a 7700 code representing a general emergency situation, followed by a 7500 code minutes later, indicating a potential hijacking or other “unlawful interference,” and subsequently another general emergency signal.
Security sources revealed that the Israeli Air Force dispatched fighter jets to approach the aircraft, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened officials to discuss response measures.
An unnamed Israeli official informed Reuters that the emergency signals were triggered after a physical altercation between two pilots in the cockpit. It remains unclear if either pilot deliberately activated the signals.
The Prime Minister’s Office of Israel later stated that the incident was believed not to be a hijacking and assured that the situation was under control, with all measures being taken to safely return Israeli passengers to Israel.
According to an Associated Press report quoting a regional official familiar with the incident, a conflict did erupt in the cockpit, apparently involving the pilots, but the reason for the dispute remains unknown. Fortunately, all passengers onboard are safe.
The Jerusalem Post cited Channel 12 in Israel, reporting an unnamed female passenger describing the situation as very chaotic. She recounted hearing screams on the plane, witnessing blood upon the cockpit opening, and someone using a small folding knife to injure a pilot.
The passenger mentioned that Israeli passengers and crew members worked together to subdue an attacker, praying during the ordeal, and at times fearing they might not make it out alive.
Another passenger named Noam told Channel 12 that she learned one of the pilots was severely injured from a stabbing, causing the plane to momentarily lose control and rapidly descend.
“It was really terrifying,” she said.
However, the Jerusalem Post noted that official information released is still very limited. It is believed there were around 180 passengers on board. Ultimately, the plane successfully landed at Tabuk Airport in the northwest of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia and Israel currently do not have official diplomatic relations; however, Dubai Airline operates daily flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv. Since the normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel in 2020, this route has been popular among Israeli travelers.