flydubai suspends Tel Aviv flights after cockpit incident; CEO says ‘investigation will establish facts’

flydubai Chief Executive Officer Ghaith Al Ghaith said all 172 passengers and crew members on board the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight were safe and receiving support.

flydubai has temporarily suspended flights to Tel Aviv following an incident involving flight FZ 1073, which was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia on September 30. The airline said the suspension was implemented at the request of the authorities.

This screengrab, taken from a handout video via AFPTV, shows first responders outside the rerouted flydubai flight FZ 1073, ahead of its departure to Tel Aviv from Saudi Arabia's Tabuk airport. (AFP)

The flydubai FZ 1073 flight, operated by a Boeing 787 MAX 8, plunged 14,300 feet in around 30 seconds while flying over northern Saudi Arabia. The aircraft later landed safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk after two flydubai pilots travelling as passengers took control of the aircraft when Captain Machchhar reportedly managed to open the cockpit door.

flydubai Chief Executive Officer Ghaith Al Ghaith said all 172 passengers and crew members on board the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight were safe. He added that the captain had returned to the UAE after receiving medical clearance, according to a post shared on X.

FZ 1073 diverted to Saudi Arabia

“I would like to commend the professionalism and dedication shown by our Captain, and the pilots who secured the aircraft and landed it safely as well as the cabin crew. My deepest thanks also go to the passengers on board who assisted our crew during a challenging situation,” Al Ghaith said.

Tel Aviv operations suspended

flydubai said its flights to Tel Aviv have been suspended temporarily until further notice following a request from the authorities.

The airline said its teams were working to assist passengers affected by the disruption and help them continue to their final destinations.

Al Ghaith also thanked Saudi authorities for their response and acknowledged the support provided by UAE authorities.

CEO urges focus on official investigation

The flydubai chief said there were several questions about the events that took place on board FZ 1073. He said an official investigation, led by the relevant authorities and supported by flydubai, was underway.

“I know there are many questions about what happened on board FZ 1073. A full official investigation, led by the relevant authorities and fully supported by flydubai, is underway. It is important that we allow this process to establish the facts.”