Flydubai flight diverted to Saudi Arabia after co-pilot attacks captain

On 30 September, Flydubai flight FZ1073 was diverted to Saudi Arabia after the co-pilot attacked the captain during the flight. Israeli officials characterised the incident as an attempted hijacking. A relief crew member managed to take control of the aircraft and land it safely in Saudi Arabia. From there, passengers were transferred to another flight to complete their journey to Israel.

Following the episode, Flydubai announced a temporary suspension of all flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv. "This temporary suspension will allow the relevant authorities to continue their work and establish all the facts surrounding the incident," the airline stated. It added that it remained in close coordination with government authorities and regulators. Before the incident, the airline operated ten daily flights between the two cities.

Passengers experienced considerable fear and confusion during and after the incident. Assaf Rajuan, one of the passengers, told CNN that even after the attacker was restrained, many passengers were uncertain whom to trust. "There was nothing but desert beneath us; we feared being taken to an enemy country or landing in the middle of the desert," he explained. He added that the lack of information caused passengers to become suspicious of the flight attendants as well, since "we knew nothing."