Live: Captain, first officer of flydubai flight hospitalised, says Saudi's Tabuk Airport

Download AppNewsWorldLive: Captain, first officer of flydubai flight hospitalised, says Saudi's Tabuk Airportflydubai Incidentflydubai Flight Incident Live Updates: A commercial Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv, Israel, made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after transmitting emergency alerts shortly after takeoff. According to publicly available flight-tracking data, the aircraft first issued a 7700 squawk code, signalling a general emergency, before transmitting a 7500 code associated with a hijacking or unlawful interference. Israeli officials suspect the incident may have involved an attempt to take control of the aircraft and crash it in an act of terrorism. People who were aboard the plane and their relatives told Hebrew-language media that the co-pilot stabbed the captain in the cockpit, causing the aircraft to plunge about 17,000 feet in less than a minute. A group of Israeli passengers reportedly entered the cockpit, subdued the attacker and helped stabilise the aircraft. The plane, carrying about 180 passengers, most of them Israeli, later landed safely in Saudi Arabia. Follow this live blog for the latest updates on the Flydubai flight incident....Read MoreSep 30, 2026 18:20 ISTflydubai Incident: Photos show flydubai plane's damaged rudderPhotos published by Israeli media show apparent damage to the rudder of the flydubai plane after it landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. The images show part of the rudder missing from the aircraft’s vertical stabiliser, while passengers, many of them Israeli, can be seen disembarking. The Boeing 737 MAX made a sharp descent during the incident, dropping from about 34,000 feet to around 17,000 feet in less than a minute. (Photo: X) Sep 30, 2026 18:09 ISTflydubai Latest News: Israel opposition accuses government of politicising incidentIsraeli opposition leaders praised passengers who reportedly intervened during the flydubai flight incident, while accusing the government and its allies of using the episode for political gain. According to The Times of Israel, Democrats leader Yair Golan praised their "extraordinary resourcefulness and courage" and criticised what he called attempts by the government to "play cheap politics" over the incident. Government allies have linked the episode to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's warning about unspecified security threats a day earlier. Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who had dismissed that warning as political point-scoring, said nothing resembling Wednesday’s incident was included in the security assessment he received from Netanyahu. Sep 30, 2026 18:06 ISTflydubai Plane Latest News: Ben Gvir calls for escalation after flydubai incidentIsraeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said the alleged attack on a flydubai flight showed Israel must intensify its military campaigns across the region. "Thank God and the heroic passengers, but Israel's security doctrine must be taken to the next level," Ben Gvir said, calling for continued action in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank. The circumstances of the incident remain unclear. Passengers reportedly intervened after an apparent attempt by one of the pilots to crash the plane, which was carrying about 180 Israelis. The flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed safely. There is currently no indication that any organisation or state directed the incident. Ben Gvir also said terrorism should be defeated rather than negotiated with. Sep 30, 2026 18:02 ISTflydubai Latest News: Israel seeks flydubai flight suspensionIsraeli Transport Minister Miri Regev has called for all flydubai flights to Israel to be suspended following this morning’s incident on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, Hebrew media reported. Regev has also asked the Civil Aviation Authority to examine whether the UAE breached its aviation agreement with Israel, which reportedly requires pilots landing in Israel to hold passports from countries with diplomatic ties with the country. Sep 30, 2026 17:54 ISTflydubai Incident: Flydubai captain, co-pilot hospitalised after incidentSaudi Arabia's Tabuk Airport said the captain and first officer of the flydubai flight diverted to the kingdom were injured and hospitalised. According to the Times of Israel, the flight, bound for Tel Aviv, landed at Tabuk at 9:45 AM local time (0645 GMT). Both pilots were taken to hospital, while passengers received the necessary care, the airport operator said. Israeli officials investigating the incident increasingly believe the co-pilot attacked the captain and attempted to crash the plane. Sep 30, 2026 17:51 ISTflydubai Incident Live: What has happened so far Flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an incident on board. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers were reported safe and accounted for. The aircraft sent emergency signals during the flight. Flight-tracking data showed the Boeing 737 transmitted a general emergency 7700 squawk code, followed by 7500, which indicates possible unlawful interference or hijacking. Initial fears of a hijacking triggered a security response in Israel. Israeli fighter jets were scrambled after the emergency signals were received, according to officials cited by AP and Reuters. Officials later said the incident involved a fight between the two pilots. The exact cause of the confrontation remains under investigation. Both pilots were injured and hospitalised. Tabuk Airport said the captain and first officer were taken to hospital for medical treatment after the aircraft landed. Passenger accounts described a violent scene in the cockpit. Reuters reported that one passenger's mother said her daughter heard screaming and saw a man with a knife forcing one of the pilots to the floor, with blood visible. These accounts have not been independently verified. The aircraft experienced a sharp descent during the incident. Flight-tracking data showed it dropping from roughly 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in about a minute, before stabilising and eventually landing in Tabuk. Israel is investigating the incident. Reuters reported that some Israeli officials were treating the episode as a possible attempted terror attack. flydubai has confirmed the incident but has not released detailed information about what happened in the cockpit. The airline said its teams were working with the relevant authorities and that the safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew remained its priority.