Shafaq News- Middle East

A flydubai passenger flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted toward Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after issuing emergency signals and losing communication, sparking an Israeli investigation, according to Israeli media and flight-tracking data.

Israel’s Channel 12 and Israel Hayom indicated that the aircraft unexpectedly changed course while en route to Israel, initially raising concerns about “a possible hijacking,” although the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office later ruled out that scenario.

לשכת ראש הממשלה:בעקבות החשש לאירוע תעופתי, ראש הממשלה נתניהו קיים התייעצויות בנושא ועקב אחר ההתפתחויות.האירוע בשליטה, וכעת מופעלים כל האמצעים על מנת להשיב את הנוסעים הישראלים בבטחה לישראל.

— ראש ממשלת ישראל (@IsraeliPM_heb) September 30, 2026

Departures from Ben Gurion Airport were temporarily suspended as authorities assessed the situation, while fighter jets were dispatched toward the plane, Channel 14 said.

Flightradar24 data showed flight FZ1073 leaving Dubai at 03:05 UTC and transmitting a 7700 transponder code, indicating a general emergency, at 05:31. Seven minutes later, it switched to 7500, used to signal unlawful interference, before reverting to 7700.

The tracking service received its final signal at 06:58 UTC at Tabuk Regional Airport in Saudi Arabia. Flightradar24 contacted flydubai to establish whether the plane had landed safely but had not received a response.

Israeli media later turned to a possible cockpit confrontation. Channel 12 cited an altercation between the pilot and co-pilot, while Channel 14 pointed to suspicions that one may have attempted a rapid descent from about 30,000 feet to 15,000 feet before the other intervened. Neither account has been officially confirmed.

Maariv indicated that Israeli security agencies and the military were examining the loss of communication.

Flydubai has not publicly clarified what occurred aboard FZ1073 or what caused the emergency.