Altercation in the Cockpit and Emergency Symbols.. What Happened to the "Fly Dubai" Plane?

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The aircraft, a "Boeing 737 Max 8" belonging to "Fly Dubai", was on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv with Israeli passengers on board. During the flight, an incident occurred in the cockpit, followed by the aircraft sending emergency signals, before changing its course and making an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk.

Note .. pic.twitter.com/H0ITyWgwrh

What is most striking is that the aircraft first sent the code 7700, which is a general emergency code, then sent 7500, which is the navigational code used to indicate "unlawful interference" or a potential hijacking, before returning to 7700, while flight tracking data showed sharp changes in altitude and course.

In light of varying accounts, not all details of the incident have been officially resolved yet. "Fly Dubai" confirmed that the flight experienced an "incident during the flight", that the aircraft landed safely, and that all passengers are fine, but it has not disclosed the details of the cause of the incident in its official statement so far.

The company indicated that the airline will continue to issue more updates and official statements as soon as additional confirmed details about the ambiguous incident become available.

In contrast, reports conveyed that a physical altercation occurred between the pilots inside the cockpit. Other reports mentioned the use of a knife and injuries, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested the possibility of a terrorist act. However, Flydubai did not confirm these accounts in its official statement.

What is confirmed at this time is that the captain of the aircraft and his assistant were injured and were taken to the hospital after landing in Tabuk, according to the documented videos. Meanwhile, Tabuk Airport stated that the distress call was received at 8:44 AM, and the aircraft landed safely at 9:45 AM, while investigations continue to determine the circumstances of the incident.

The cause of each injury, who initiated the altercation, and whether one of them attempted to take control of the aircraft intentionally are points still under investigation.

Saudi Arabia rejected a request for a plane from Israel to transport passengers to Tel Aviv, according to the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, but Flydubai sent an alternative aircraft to transport the passengers after Riyadh declined Tel Aviv's request.

Yedioth Ahronoth: Saudi Arabia refused to allow an Israeli plane to land before the passengers disembarked on Fly Dubai #AlArabiyaBreaking

It cannot currently be described as a confirmed hijacking. The code 7500 means "unlawful interference," but it does not alone specify the nature of the incident, while the circumstances of the altercation inside the cockpit remain under investigation.

This is one of the most important points in the story. Fly Dubai stated that crew members were on board the flight and took control of the plane and landed it in Tabuk, according to reports.

The plane landed at a maximum speed that caused damage to it, as photos showed parts of the tail of the plane shattered, which could have led to a disaster had it continued to fly in that condition for a longer period.

Here, the role of the Saudi authorities and Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in the immediate handling of the situation is highlighted. From the moment the distress call was received, the airport went into a state of readiness to deal with the aircraft, declaring a state of emergency and preparing the necessary response to receive it.

The "Fly Dubai" flight landed safely, before the relevant authorities took over to handle the injuries of its pilots and provide care for the passengers. The airport also coordinated with the airline to secure a replacement aircraft, on which all passengers later departed.

Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk announced the departure of all passengers on the replacement aircraft, following the emergency landing of Fly Dubai flight number (FZ1073) on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

Supplementary statement .. pic.twitter.com/Yyh3CLFQy9

The airport clarified, in a supplementary statement, that all passengers departed on the replacement aircraft at exactly 5:40 PM.

Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport reiterated its commitment to the regulations and instructions issued by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, in accordance with the relevant international treaties and agreements concerning the safety of air navigation, passengers, and cabin crews.