Saudi Statement: Captain and Co-Pilot of "Fly Dubai" Flight Injured During Incident and Received Treatment in the Kingdom

- The second airports company (Cluster2) announced on Wednesday that the captain and co-pilot of the "Fly Dubai" flight, which was diverted and made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport, were injured during the incident involving flight number (FZ1073) and were taken to the hospital. The statement issued by the Saudi government company indicated that Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk "received a distress call from flight number (FZ1073) belonging to Fly Dubai, requesting an emergency landing at the airport, at exactly 8:44 AM local time on Wednesday, September 30, 2026."

The company continued that "an emergency was declared at the airport and preparations were made to assist the aircraft, which landed safely at the airport at exactly 9:45 AM local time, and it was found that both the captain and the co-pilot were injured, and they were taken to the hospital for necessary medical care." It also provided "the necessary care for passengers in the terminal and coordinated with the airline to secure a replacement aircraft."

The airport confirmed its "commitment to the regulations and instructions issued by the General Authority of Civil Aviation in accordance with relevant international treaties and agreements concerning the safety of air navigation, passengers, and cabin crews." The statement mentioned that "work is ongoing to complete the necessary investigations by the relevant authorities."

A spokesperson for "Fly Dubai" stated earlier on Wednesday that flight number FZ 1073 "experienced an incident during the flight" and landed at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, confirming that all passengers are safe and sound. Israeli officials and an informed source mentioned that Israeli authorities suspect that what happened on board the flight heading to Tel Aviv may have been an attempted terrorist attack.

One official stated that the information gathered by Israeli authorities indicates that the co-pilot attempted to stab the pilot, and an Israeli passenger helped subdue the co-pilot. The source added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled his agenda to hold consultations with senior security officials in Israel regarding the incident.