The Boeing 737 MAX, registered as FDB1073, took off from Dubai International Airport bound for Ben Gurion with 180 passengers on board. Within two and a half hours, FlightRadar24 data shows the aircraft plummeted from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in a single minute before executing a U‑turn over the Jordan‑Saudi border. The pilots reportedly fought in the cockpit, triggering the hijack code 7500 and forcing an emergency landing at Tabuk’s civilian and military airbase.
Passengers described a chaotic scene, with screams and the sound of a folding knife striking. One crew member reported blood on the cockpit door, and another said the pilot had been stabbed. Despite the violence, the crew and fellow passengers intervened and subdued the attacker, preventing a potential crash.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that warplanes were scrambled to monitor the situation, citing rising security threats in the region. An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that a ‘major disaster was narrowly avoided’ amid speculation that a pilot might have attempted to hijack the plane.
flydubai released a statement saying the flight landed safely in Tabuk and that it was working closely with authorities. The carrier added that further updates would be issued as more confirmed details emerge. It also highlighted that the incident had no impact on the airline’s overall safety record.
The incident follows a 2022 Air France flight where pilots fought in the cockpit, though that flight was not diverted. It underscores the persistent risks of cockpit security in the Middle East, where Israel has historically faced hijacking threats from Palestinian militants.
Israeli officials have ordered a full investigation into the cockpit altercation and are reviewing cockpit security protocols. The investigation will involve the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority, the UAE aviation regulator, and Saudi security forces.