flydubai says the "reasons and motives" behind the flight-deck altercation "are unknown" and urges all parties to avoid "premature speculation"
flydubaiDubai-owned airline operating FZ1073, in a statement attributed to a flydubai spokesperson
In its second statement on flight FZ 1073, which an archive copy of the airline's newsroom page shows by 13:21 UTC on September 30, 2026, flydubai said an altercation occurred in the flight deck, that the aircraft was secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted it and landed it safely at Tabuk, and that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for. It said the underlying reasons and motives behind the event were unknown and remained subject to a formal investigation, and it urged all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts.
Responding to
flydubai said on September 30, 2026 that an altercation occurred in the flight deck of flight FZ 1073, that the underlying reasons and motives behind the event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation, and that all parties should refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts.
“At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation. We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts.”
Official statement
Official statement
Official statement
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Did a flydubai pilot try to crash Israel-bound flight FZ1073?
On September 30, 2026, flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, dropped sharply in altitude en route, transmitted emergency transponder codes and landed at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. flydubai said an altercation occurred in the flight deck, and the Tabuk airport said both pilots were taken to hospital. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one pilot stabbed the other and "apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board," and Defense Minister Israel Katz called the incident "an attempted jihadist terrorist attack." flydubai said the reasons and motives were unknown and subject to a formal investigation. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and Saudi Arabia's National Transport Safety Center opened investigations. As of September 30, 2026, no investigating authority had reported findings, and we did not locate a public report that anyone had been charged. The disputed claim is whether a pilot deliberately tried to crash the aircraft.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
The airline's second statement, on its newsroom page. An archive copy of the page captured at 13:21 UTC already carried it. It confirms an altercation in the flight deck and says the aircraft was secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Official statement
About this source
The airline's first statement on the flight, on its newsroom page.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Official statement
About this source
The airline's third statement, on its newsroom page, announcing the suspension of its flights to and from Israel. Posts quoting it appeared by about 19:43 UTC.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Reports the Tabuk airport's account of the distress call and landing times, the GCAA's wording, and a flydubai official's comments on the black boxes.
Before the quotation
flydubai's first statement said only that FZ 1073 "experienced an incident while en route," had landed safely at Tabuk and that all passengers were safe and accounted for. Israeli media were already reporting a fight between the pilots. Flightradar24 noted the updated statement on its blog at 14:01 UTC.
After the quotation
Israel Katz's statement followed by 13:40 UTC, and Netanyahu's video at 14:05 UTC. In a third statement, which posts show by about 19:43 UTC, flydubai said its flights to and from Israel would be suspended while the investigation continues. A senior flydubai official told The National that the airline could not disclose the nationalities of the two pilots and that the circumstances would become clear only once investigators had access to the black boxes.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether a pilot deliberately tried to crash FZ1073. flydubai confirmed that an altercation occurred in the flight deck but said the reasons and motives were unknown and subject to investigation and asked all parties not to speculate. It neither adopted nor rejected the Israeli officials' account, so we labeled it Explicitly stayed out. We did not use Challenged the characterization: the airline's word altercation describes the event differently from Israel's account, but the statement does not dispute that account.
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Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
- Title
- flydubai says the "reasons and motives" behind the flight-deck altercation "are unknown" and urges all parties to avoid "premature speculation"
- First published
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/3857-in-its-second-statement-on-flight-fz-1073
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "flydubai says the "reasons and motives" behind the flight-deck altercation "are unknown" and urges all parties to avoid "premature speculation"". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3857-in-its-second-statement-on-flight-fz-1073