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Flydubai Dubai-Tel Aviv passengers recall horror, post videos: ‘There was a hijacking, we have subdued the terrorists’
In one video, a bloodied passenger speaks directly into the camera as the aircraft approaches Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
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In one video, a bloodied passenger speaks directly into the camera as the aircraft approaches Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
3 min readSep 30, 2026 05:13 PM IST First published on: Sep 30, 2026 at 05:03 PM IST
Videos from the plane that landed in Saudi Arabia. (Photo: X/@newsisrael13/@flightradar24)
Videos filmed by passengers aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 have emerged showing the aftermath of a “violent incident” in the cockpit that forced the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight to divert to Saudi Arabia.
In one video, a bloodied passenger speaks directly into the camera as the aircraft approaches Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
תיעוד מהמטוס שנחת בסעודיה: "השתלטנו על המחבלים. כל מי ששומע אותי – אנחנו צריכים עזרה"https://t.co/qp31UziuJB@NoganNir pic.twitter.com/Od4nR7c4Vq— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) September 30, 2026
“We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists, we’re approaching landing. Whoever is hearing me, we need help,” the passenger says.
He then says the plane is landing in “Tabuk, apparently in Saudi Arabia”, describing it as an unfamiliar place. He says the passengers are safe “other than the pilot” and again asks for help.
The video was published by Israel’s Channel 13 and circulated by Israeli media.
The passenger’s description of the incident as a “hijacking” and his reference to “terrorists” reflect his account of what he believed was happening aboard the aircraft. They do not, by themselves, establish the motive or identity of the person involved.
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What do the videos show?
Other footage from the aircraft reportedly shows passengers dealing with the aftermath of the cockpit confrontation, including an injured pilot and another crew member being restrained.
The videos emerged as accounts of what happened inside the aircraft changed during the day.
🚨ISRAELI WARRIOR HERO PASSENGERS THWART ATTEMPTED HIJACKING!🇮🇱💙 This is INSANE🤯 Cockpit footage shows Israeli passengers covered in the blood of the FlyDubai pilot who was stabbed by his co-pilot in an attempt to hijack and crash the Boeing 737 headed to Tel Aviv from Dubai.… pic.twitter.com/2PRaQ8cDW1— Daniel Cohen (@DanielCohenTV) September 30, 2026
Initially, Israeli officials said the emergency appeared to have resulted from a physical altercation between the pilots rather than a hijacking. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said the incident was not believed to be a hijacking.
But later, two Israeli officials told Reuters that Israel was increasingly assessing the incident as a possible attempted “terror attack”. Reuters reported that the co-pilot was believed to have stabbed the captain before cabin crew entered the cockpit and took control of the plane.
What happened to Flydubai FZ1073?
The Boeing 737 was travelling from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv when it transmitted emergency signals.
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Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft first transmitted 7700, the international code for a general emergency. Several minutes later, it transmitted 7500, the code for unlawful interference with an aircraft and one commonly associated with a hijacking. The aircraft subsequently turned towards Saudi Arabia and landed at Tabuk.
The flight also experienced a sharp descent. Flightradar24 data cited by Reuters showed the aircraft dropping by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal.
The emergency signals prompted Israel to scramble fighter jets and triggered consultations involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior Israeli security officials.
“We’re landing in Tabuk, apparently in Saudi Arabia. An unknown, unfamiliar area. On the plane, everybody is safe and sound, other than the pilot. We need help.”
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