A replacement Flydubai aircraft carrying about 180 passengers, mostly Israelis, landed at Ben Gurion Airport under Israeli fighter jet escort, 10 hours after their original Dubai to Tel Aviv flight diverted to Saudi Arabia following a suspected hijacking attempt. Magen David Adom medical teams met the arriving passengers.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered increased security on Israeli and foreign airlines following the incident, his office said. The returning passengers were to receive professional assistance before meeting Netanyahu and Transport Minister Miri Regev.

Flight FZ1073 had landed in Tabuk after one pilot stabbed the other and apparently tried to crash the aircraft, Netanyahu said. Passengers and crew subdued the attacker, who was arrested and questioned by Saudi authorities, he said. Both pilots were hospitalized, while all passengers were safe. Flydubai sent two replacement aircraft and said the incident's causes remained under investigation: “At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation.”