- Affected country
- Saudi Arabia
- Location / route
- Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport, Tabuk
- Official source
- Google News — Middle East travel disruption
- Published by source
- October 4, 2026 6:03 PM CST
- Effective period
- September 30, 2026 12:00 AM CST
- Last verified
- October 5, 2026 12:14 AM CST
- Status
- Resolved
Official guidance
Stranded passengers were processed through the Tabuk airport terminal and boarded a designated replacement flydubai flight to Tel Aviv after Israeli aircraft were not authorized to land.
Summary of official information. Always check the official source and follow the guidance of the authorities. UECN does not issue risk ratings; the absence of an alert does not mean that a destination is safe.
Update — October 5, 2026 12:14 AM CST: Flydubai dispatched a replacement aircraft to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, to transport 170 to 180 passengers onward to Tel Aviv after flight FZ1073 diverted due to a mid-air emergency on September 30, 2026. While media reported initial hesitation among some travelers to board another flydubai flight, Saudi authorities did not permit Israeli-registered planes to land. Tabuk airport officials confirmed all stranded passengers ultimately departed the kingdom aboard the replacement service.
On September 30, 2026, flydubai flight FZ1073 en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv signaled an emergency and diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Regional and international reports indicated that a violent confrontation inside the cockpit resulted in an injured captain and a restrained co-pilot, with off-duty crew assisting to safely land the Boeing 737 carrying between 170 and 180 passengers, most of whom were Israelis.
According to The Traveler, once inside the Tabuk terminal, several Israeli passengers initially hesitated or refused to board a replacement aircraft dispatched by flydubai. Coverage from Hebrew media indicated that some passengers preferred to wait for an Israeli carrier, though Saudi authorities did not grant permission for Israeli-registered aircraft to land at Tabuk.
Reports by Euronews and other outlets noted that passenger hesitation stemmed from emotional trauma and security concerns surrounding the cockpit incident rather than technical issues with the replacement aircraft. Travelers reportedly balanced apprehension about reboarding flydubai against the priority of departing Saudi territory promptly.
Boarding ultimately proceeded under the supervision of local airport staff and airline representatives. Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport management confirmed that all passengers from the diverted flight departed Saudi Arabia on the roughly 45-minute replacement flight to Tel Aviv.
Revision history
- Resolved Official update applied: Flydubai dispatched a replacement aircraft to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, to transport 170 to 180 passengers onward to Tel…
- Active Published automatically from the official source
Sources
- thetraveler.org · 2026-10-04
