Based on official statements. No investigation findings yet.
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv diverts to Tabuk after pilot attackFlightradar24 / Flight-tracking report, 30 September 2026 / Aircraft information
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 A6-FKF at Dubai International Airport, 2 January 2026, before the incident.
Photo: UB-TY144 (uboie on Flickr), CC BY-SA 4.0
Flightradar24 identifies the registration as A6-FKF: Flightradar24 report. Official statements have not named the registration. This photograph shows the exterior only.
Image source / Original agency release
Resized and WebP recompressed; no content changes. This resized version is shared under the same licence.
The banner uses a display crop. This photograph is shown uncropped here. It does not by itself establish the cause.
FZ1073 diverted to Tabuk after the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain in the cockpit. Everyone aboard survived. The UAE Attorney General has since said investigators found a planned attack, including an intent to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport's passenger terminal. These are prosecution findings; no final investigation report has been published.
No final report identified. The UAE Attorney General says the investigation found an attempted terrorist act and, on 9 October, a plan to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport. The co-pilot is said to have confessed to acting alone, which investigators are still verifying. No charges or court findings have been identified.
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv diverts to Tabuk after pilot attackFlightradar24 / Flight-tracking report, 30 September 2026 / Aircraft information
GCAA: Security incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv, brought under controlEmirates News Agency, reporting UAE General Civil Aviation Authority / Official regulator statement, 30 September 2026 / Announcement paragraphs 1-5
UAE investigation finds flydubai co-pilot tried to carry out terror attackKhaleej Times, reporting the UAE Attorney General statement carried by WAM / News report of an official statement, 3 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General statement; Saudi Ministry of Interior preliminary finding
Suspect in FlyDubai incident was previously identified as security risk: OfficialsABC News / News report citing unnamed officials, 4 October 2026; not confirmed by Oman or the UAE / Reported Oman Air security concern, 2024; employment outcome unclear
Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutors sayThe National, reporting the UAE Attorney General announcement / News report of an official statement, 9 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General findings on intent, preparation, recruitment checks and investigation status
Statement by the Embassy of Israel in Australia: Australians and Israelis Among Those Saved as Courage Thwarts Terror on FlyDubai Flight 1073Embassy of Israel in Australia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Official government assessment, not an investigation report / Press release paragraphs 2 and 4
No final report has been published yet. Official statements describe a security incident on board. No investigating body or investigation report has been identified in official sources yet.
565 words / about 3 minutes to read. The account is limited to the detail supported by the published evidence; missing sequences are not reconstructed.
The Dubai-Tel Aviv service encountered a cockpit incident on 30 September. Flydubai described an altercation and said crew travelling aboard secured the aircraft. It diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely.
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority described a security incident brought under control. It confirmed that some crew members were injured and taken to hospital in Saudi Arabia. Its teams were examining operational and security circumstances with the relevant authorities. The announcement did not give an injury count or identify a cause.
GCAA: Security incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv, brought under controlEmirates News Agency, reporting UAE General Civil Aviation Authority / Official regulator statement, 30 September 2026 / Announcement paragraphs 1-5
On 3 October the UAE Attorney General said the investigation found the co-pilot attempted a terrorist act, attacking the captain with a crash axe in the cockpit and trying to take control of the aircraft. Investigators said they were still examining the motive and any connections, completing technical examinations and analysing physical and digital evidence.
On 9 October he announced further findings, as reported by The National and other outlets. They say the co-pilot planned to seize the aircraft and crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport to cause the greatest possible number of casualties. Investigators said he made two earlier flights to Tel Aviv to learn the route and airport, and that he had been inspired by the 11 September 2001 attacks. His recruitment checks, including a pilot licence, a certificate of good conduct and background screening, showed no sign of extremist views or intent.
The Attorney General said the co-pilot confessed and said he acted alone; investigators are still verifying that. The Public Prosecution heard from the captain, the return-flight pilot, the co-pilot and cabin crew. A forensic report found the captain's injuries were concentrated on the head and consistent with the timing of the incident. Prosecutors are reviewing recordings and technical reports and examining whether anyone helped plan or enable the attack.
These are prosecution statements relayed by news outlets. We could not retrieve the original Emirates News Agency text, and no charges or court findings have been identified.
UAE investigation finds flydubai co-pilot tried to carry out terror attackKhaleej Times, reporting the UAE Attorney General statement carried by WAM / News report of an official statement, 3 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General statement; Saudi Ministry of Interior preliminary finding
Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutors sayThe National, reporting the UAE Attorney General announcement / News report of an official statement, 9 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General findings on intent, preparation, recruitment checks and investigation status
Several outlets have reported that the co-pilot was flagged over extremism concerns before he joined flydubai. ABC News, citing unnamed senior officials, said extremist material was reportedly found while he trained with Oman Air in 2024. Its report is inconsistent on the outcome: it says both that he was suspended from flying and that he kept working in an administrative role.
No named official has confirmed this, and no Omani government statement has been identified. The UAE Attorney General said on 9 October that flydubai's recruitment checks met professional and security requirements and revealed no extremist views or intent, and that signs of radicalisation first emerged in 2017. How the two accounts fit together, and whether any concern was shared with other airlines, is not established in the sources reviewed.
Suspect in FlyDubai incident was previously identified as security risk: OfficialsABC News / News report citing unnamed officials, 4 October 2026; not confirmed by Oman or the UAE / Reported Oman Air security concern, 2024; employment outcome unclear
Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutors sayThe National, reporting the UAE Attorney General announcement / News report of an official statement, 9 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General findings on intent, preparation, recruitment checks and investigation status
Israel's embassy in Australia described the event as an attempted terrorist attack. Its statement said an injured captain opened the cockpit, passengers overpowered an attacker and two off-duty pilots landed the aircraft. This is an attributed government account, not an investigation report. Outlets relaying the UAE statement describe a pilot travelling aboard who noticed the cockpit door behaving unusually and intervened, which differs from the airline's on-duty wording; the roles remain unreconciled.
Statement by the Embassy of Israel in Australia: Australians and Israelis Among Those Saved as Courage Thwarts Terror on FlyDubai Flight 1073Embassy of Israel in Australia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Official government assessment, not an investigation report / Press release paragraphs 2 and 4
Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutors sayThe National, reporting the UAE Attorney General announcement / News report of an official statement, 9 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General findings on intent, preparation, recruitment checks and investigation status
Flydubai arranged replacement aircraft. Its later chief executive statement said the captain had returned to the UAE after medical clearance. The carrier suspended Tel Aviv operations at the authorities' request while an official investigation continued.
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
Times are shown only where the cited source establishes them. Untimed stages are ordered by the documented sequence.
GCAA announced a controlled security incident, landing at Tabuk and crew hospital treatment.
GCAA: Security incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv, brought under controlEmirates News Agency, reporting UAE General Civil Aviation Authority / Official regulator statement, 30 September 2026 / Announcement paragraphs 1-5
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior was reported as saying a preliminary investigation found the co-pilot assaulted the captain, injuring both.
UAE investigation finds flydubai co-pilot tried to carry out terror attackKhaleej Times, reporting the UAE Attorney General statement carried by WAM / News report of an official statement, 3 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General statement; Saudi Ministry of Interior preliminary finding
The Attorney General said the investigation found the co-pilot attempted a terrorist act, attacking the captain with a crash axe and trying to take control of the aircraft.
UAE investigation finds flydubai co-pilot tried to carry out terror attackKhaleej Times, reporting the UAE Attorney General statement carried by WAM / News report of an official statement, 3 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General statement; Saudi Ministry of Interior preliminary finding
ABC News, citing unnamed senior intelligence and law enforcement officials, reported that the co-pilot had been identified as a security risk while training with Oman Air in 2024, after extremist material was reportedly found in his possession. Oman Air and the Omani embassy had not responded. Neither Oman nor the UAE has confirmed this, and the later UAE statement says flydubai's checks showed no sign of extremist views.
Suspect in FlyDubai incident was previously identified as security risk: OfficialsABC News / News report citing unnamed officials, 4 October 2026; not confirmed by Oman or the UAE / Reported Oman Air security concern, 2024; employment outcome unclear
The Attorney General announced investigators found a premeditated plan to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport's passenger terminal, after two earlier scouting flights to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot was said to have confessed and to have acted alone, which is still being verified.
Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutors sayThe National, reporting the UAE Attorney General announcement / News report of an official statement, 9 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General findings on intent, preparation, recruitment checks and investigation status
Statements confirmed survival, intervention by travelling crew and replacement aircraft.
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
The captain returned home; Israel services were suspended pending investigation.
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
Documented stages in reading order. This overview does not imply a settled chain of causes.
GCAA announced a controlled security incident, landing at Tabuk and crew hospital treatment.
GCAA: Security incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv, brought under controlEmirates News Agency, reporting UAE General Civil Aviation Authority / Official regulator statement, 30 September 2026 / Announcement paragraphs 1-5
ABC News, citing unnamed senior intelligence and law enforcement officials, reported that the co-pilot had been identified as a security risk while training with Oman Air in 2024, after extremist material was reportedly found in his possession. Oman Air and the Omani embassy had not responded. Neither Oman nor the UAE has confirmed this, and the later UAE statement says flydubai's checks showed no sign of extremist views.
Suspect in FlyDubai incident was previously identified as security risk: OfficialsABC News / News report citing unnamed officials, 4 October 2026; not confirmed by Oman or the UAE / Reported Oman Air security concern, 2024; employment outcome unclear
The captain returned home; Israel services were suspended pending investigation.
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
Yes. Official statements confirm survival, although crew injuries required hospital care.
GCAA: Security incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv, brought under controlEmirates News Agency, reporting UAE General Civil Aviation Authority / Official regulator statement, 30 September 2026 / Announcement paragraphs 1-5
The UAE Attorney General says investigators found a plan to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport and that the co-pilot confessed. This is a prosecution finding, still under investigation. No charges, court ruling or final investigation report has been identified.
Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutors sayThe National, reporting the UAE Attorney General announcement / News report of an official statement, 9 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General findings on intent, preparation, recruitment checks and investigation status
UAE investigation finds flydubai co-pilot tried to carry out terror attackKhaleej Times, reporting the UAE Attorney General statement carried by WAM / News report of an official statement, 3 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General statement; Saudi Ministry of Interior preliminary finding
Statement by the Embassy of Israel in Australia: Australians and Israelis Among Those Saved as Courage Thwarts Terror on FlyDubai Flight 1073Embassy of Israel in Australia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Official government assessment, not an investigation report / Press release paragraphs 2 and 4
The latest airline statement uses the wording 172 passengers and crew. A breakdown cannot be established from that wording alone.
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
Security incident; described by the UAE Attorney General as an attempted terrorist act, pending investigation
GCAA: Security incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv, brought under controlEmirates News Agency, reporting UAE General Civil Aviation Authority / Official regulator statement, 30 September 2026 / Announcement paragraphs 1-5
UAE investigation finds flydubai co-pilot tried to carry out terror attackKhaleej Times, reporting the UAE Attorney General statement carried by WAM / News report of an official statement, 3 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General statement; Saudi Ministry of Interior preliminary finding
Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutors sayThe National, reporting the UAE Attorney General announcement / News report of an official statement, 9 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General findings on intent, preparation, recruitment checks and investigation status
Intent is asserted by the Attorney General on the basis of the co-pilot's reported confession, which investigators are still verifying. Whether anyone else helped is under investigation. No charges or final findings have been identified.
Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutors sayThe National, reporting the UAE Attorney General announcement / News report of an official statement, 9 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General findings on intent, preparation, recruitment checks and investigation status
UAE investigation finds flydubai co-pilot tried to carry out terror attackKhaleej Times, reporting the UAE Attorney General statement carried by WAM / News report of an official statement, 3 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General statement; Saudi Ministry of Interior preliminary finding
Official statements reviewed do not identify aircraft registration, a full injury count, or a detailed flight-data sequence. Accounts differ on how the cockpit was re-entered and who landed the aircraft.
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
GCAA: Security incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv, brought under controlEmirates News Agency, reporting UAE General Civil Aviation Authority / Official regulator statement, 30 September 2026 / Announcement paragraphs 1-5
No published final report was identified in the sources reviewed. The aircraft was not confirmed damaged. The original Emirates News Agency text of the 3 and 9 October statements could not be retrieved, so those statements are cited through news outlets.
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
GCAA: Security incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv, brought under controlEmirates News Agency, reporting UAE General Civil Aviation Authority / Official regulator statement, 30 September 2026 / Announcement paragraphs 1-5
A recommendation does not establish implementation. Actions are described at the dates of the linked records.
Reports say the co-pilot was identified as a security risk at a previous airline. Whether that was communicated to flydubai or other employers is not established, and the UAE statement says recruitment checks showed nothing.
Suspect in FlyDubai incident was previously identified as security risk: OfficialsABC News / News report citing unnamed officials, 4 October 2026; not confirmed by Oman or the UAE / Reported Oman Air security concern, 2024; employment outcome unclear
Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutors sayThe National, reporting the UAE Attorney General announcement / News report of an official statement, 9 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General findings on intent, preparation, recruitment checks and investigation status
The Attorney General said the co-pilot's recruitment checks met professional and security requirements and revealed no extremist views or intent. Whether screening should change has not been addressed in the official statements reviewed.
Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutors sayThe National, reporting the UAE Attorney General announcement / News report of an official statement, 9 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved / Attorney General findings on intent, preparation, recruitment checks and investigation status
The latest airline update says Tel Aviv operations were suspended at the authorities' request while the official investigation continued. This is an operational response, not an adopted finding about cause or intent.
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
GCAA confirmed that injured crew members received hospital care in Saudi Arabia. flydubai sent replacement aircraft and later confirmed that the captain had returned to the UAE after medical clearance.
GCAA: Security incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv, brought under controlEmirates News Agency, reporting UAE General Civil Aviation Authority / Official regulator statement, 30 September 2026 / Announcement paragraphs 1-5
Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary / Statements 1-4
Related subjects for further reading. These links do not imply identical causes.
US Airways Flight 1549: Dual engine thrust loss and ditching
Source status checked on 5 October 2026. This account has not undergone independent expert review. Official statements, interim documents and final findings are labelled separately.
flydubai / Official airline statements, preliminary
Open original source. Specific page references appear with the supporting sections above.
Flightradar24 / Flight-tracking report, 30 September 2026
Open original source. Specific page references appear with the supporting sections above.
Emirates News Agency, reporting UAE General Civil Aviation Authority / Official regulator statement, 30 September 2026
Open original source. Specific page references appear with the supporting sections above.
Khaleej Times, reporting the UAE Attorney General statement carried by WAM / News report of an official statement, 3 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved
Open original source. Specific page references appear with the supporting sections above.
ABC News / News report citing unnamed officials, 4 October 2026; not confirmed by Oman or the UAE
Open original source. Specific page references appear with the supporting sections above.
The National, reporting the UAE Attorney General announcement / News report of an official statement, 9 October 2026; original WAM text not retrieved
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Embassy of Israel in Australia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Official government assessment, not an investigation report
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Kevin Murphy writes the incident accounts on AirlineIncidents.com, out of a long interest in aviation safety and the lessons each investigation leaves behind.
Prepared by AirlineIncidents editorial desk. Published 5 October 2026 from the sources linked above. Later documents may revise earlier factual accounts.
