Flydubai FZ1073 timeline: How the Israel-bound flight emergency unfolded

What the report says

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday after the crew issued emergency signals while the aircraft was over or near Saudi and Jordanian airspace, according to Al Jazeera’s timeline and flight-tracking data cited in the report. The airline said the plane experienced an incident, landed safely, and that all passengers were accounted for. The article says the UAE had not publicly commented on the circumstances at the time of publication.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later alleged that one pilot stabbed the other and tried to crash the aircraft. He said a co-pilot was arrested after landing and claimed passengers and a crew member helped restrain him, but Al Jazeera noted there was no independent confirmation of a hijacking attempt. The nationality of the detained person was also not independently verified in the report.

The timeline in the article shows the flight departing Dubai early on September 30, then making sudden altitude changes and transmitting emergency codes 7700 and later 7500, the latter signaling unlawful interference. It then turned back toward Saudi Arabia before requesting an emergency landing in Tabuk. The aircraft landed safely later that morning, and passengers were later flown to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

The episode came after Netanyahu had warned a day earlier about possible attacks before Israel’s October 27 election. Opposition leader Yair Lapid rejected any link between that briefing and the flight incident, saying the government should avoid using security concerns for political messaging.