Flydubai FZ1073: UAE prosecutors treat cockpit axe attack as attempted terrorism

AI-generated. This briefing was written by an AI model from published sources and was not reviewed by a person before publication. Check the original sources before relying on it.

Published: October 5, 2026

3 sources

Occurred: 2w ago

Updated: October 7, 2026 (6d ago)

First reported by: Reuters

FlydubaiBoeingBoeing 737 MAXUAE federal prosecution (Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi)Australian Federal PoliceEl AlBen Gurion Airport (TLV)Dubai International Airport (DXB)Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport, Tabuk (TUU)RMIT University

In brief

Flydubai flight FZ1073 diverted to Tabuk on 30 September 2026 after its co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe; investigators in the UAE and Australia are still working on motive.

Sources disagree

Factual claims where reporting sources diverge. Treat with care until confirmed by the primary investigator or regulator.

Motive: the attack was an attempted suicide by aircraft versus a terrorist act aimed at a high-profile target
The GuardianUAE Attorney-General via Gulf NewsThe Times of Israel
Who flew the aircraft after the struggle: a reserve flydubai pilot travelling on the flight (The Guardian) versus on-duty flydubai crew travelling aboard (flydubai statements)
The GuardianFlydubai via AirwaysGulf News
Co-pilot's length of service with flydubai: five to nine months versus eight months
The GuardianOmniflights
Number of people on board: 174 passengers and about 182 total versus 'more than 170 people'
OmniflightsAirways

Flydubai flight FZ1073 was a routine scheduled service between Dubai and Tel Aviv until, somewhere over the Middle East on the morning of 30 September 2026, the first officer attacked the captain inside the locked flight deck. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 left its route, transmitted the transponder code for hijacking and diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Nobody was killed, but the captain was seriously wounded, both pilots were taken to hospital and the co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities before being moved into the custody of the United Arab Emirates.

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