How did Flydubai FZ 1073 go from routine flight to international scare? Timeline explained

On Wednesday, September 2026, a commercial flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv descended into sudden mid-air turmoil over Saudi Arabia. What was initially feared to be an international hijacking turned out to be a physical brawl inside the cockpit between the two pilots. Here is a step-by-step explainer of what happened on board Flydubai flight FZ 1073 before it landed safely in Tabuk.

A routine departure turns chaotic

The Boeing 737 MAX aircraft took off from Dubai International Airport at 8:35 AM IST (03:05 UTC) carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children. For the first two and a half hours, the journey across the Middle East proceeded without any trouble. However, at around 10:51 AM IST (05:21 UTC), flight tracking data recorded sudden, dramatic altitude fluctuations over northwestern Saudi Arabia. The airliner plummeted steeply, dropping over 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds. Other tracking records showed the jet descending from 34,000 feet down to roughly 16,600 feet in just over two minutes. Inside the cabin, passengers near the front heard angry shouting from the flight deck, causing widespread panic as the plane dipped sharply. 

Emergency distress codes spark a hijack scare

During the disturbance, electronic emergency codes sent from the aircraft raised immediate alarm bells across air traffic control towers. At 11:01 AM IST (05:31 UTC), the flight deck transmitted transponder code 7700, which broadcasts a general in-flight emergency. Just seven minutes later, at 11:08 AM IST (05:38 UTC), the signal changed to code 7500—the universal electronic distress code for unlawful interference or hijacking. Seeing the hijack alert, the Israeli Air Force immediately scrambled fighter jets to intercept the incoming plane. Ground tracking radar briefly lost sight of the aircraft for 17 minutes starting at 11:41 AM IST (06:11 UTC), before satellite signals picked up the jet again transmitting emergency alerts.

False alarm resolved as plane lands in Tabuk

The high-altitude crisis was ultimately confirmed to be a false alarm caused entirely by the physical fight between the two flight deck officers. Israeli government spokespersons later clarified that no hijackers were on board the plane. At approximately 12:28 PM IST (around 06:45 UTC), the aircraft made an unplanned landing at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Airline officials confirmed that all 174 passengers and crew landed safely and were accounted for. Flydubai emphasised that passenger safety remains its highest priority and stated that its teams are actively co-operating with aviation authorities investigating the disruption.