Israel probes Flydubai cockpit incident after hijack alert

JERUSALEM, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Israeli security agencies were investigating an incident aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv after the aircraft transmitted an emergency signal and descended sharply before diverting to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

Passengers check in their luggage with FlyDubai at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Photo: AP)

Israel's state-owned Kan TV news, citing an Israeli official, reported that Israeli authorities had not ruled out a possible "terrorist incident" and were examining whether one of the two pilots may have tried to crash the aircraft. It said one of the pilots was injured.

In a video circulated on social media, an Israeli passenger with blood on his face said, "We are under attack on the plane. We have overpowered the terrorists. We are about to land."

Earlier, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking. An Israeli official said that the emergency signals were transmitted after the pilots became involved in a physical altercation.

A flydubai spokesperson confirmed that flight FZ 1073 operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport "experienced an incident" while en route. The aircraft later landed in Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia and all passengers are "safe and accounted for," according to the spokesperson.