Pakistan

Islamabad, October 1, 2026. Pakistani media are treating the flydubai FZ1073 flight episode as an incident with a strong diplomatic charge, rather than a mere aviation incident. Geo News summarizes the facts: the Boeing 737, which departed from Dubai for Tel Aviv with around 150 to 180 passengers, lost nearly 14,400 feet in less than two minutes, emitted a general emergency code (7700) and then a hijacking code (7500), before landing in Tabouk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, September 30.

The headlines largely echo the version of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Business Recorder reports that Netanyahu spoke of a "very serious security incident": the co-pilot, identified by an Israeli official as an Omani national, allegedly stabbed the commander and then attempted to crash the plane. Passengers and a crew member reportedly forced open the cockpit door and subdued him. Netanyahu said these passengers "prevented a major disaster." ARY, which publishes Reuters dispatches, headlines "Israel claims": the attribution to Israel is emphasized, rather than downplayed.

These same dispatches recall the areas of uncertainty. A spokesman for Netanyahu's office, Doron Spielman, ruled out the hypothesis of a hijacking, speaking of a "different incident", while Israeli officials mention an attempted attack. The airline, for its part, asserts that the causes remain unknown and warns against any "premature speculation". The two pilots were hospitalized, according to Tabouk airport.

The regional aspect is the most developed. ARY relays two security sources according to which Saudi Arabia refused to allow Israeli military planes to come and pick up their nationals, as Riyadh does not maintain relations with Israel; the passengers departed on a replacement flydubai plane after eight hours on the ground. A senior Saudi official denied any meeting with Israeli officials. The text recalls that Donald Trump is pushing Riyadh to join the Abraham Accords, which the kingdom refuses without a prospect of a Palestinian state.

Geo News also notes that the link, with up to ten daily flights, has developed since the 2020 agreements, and that the incident raises the question of the accreditation of an Omani pilot on a flight to Israel, given the lack of formal relations between Oman and Israel. Netanyahu has also ordered increased security on Israeli and foreign airlines serving Israel, and the Israeli Ministry of Transport announces a joint investigation with the defense apparatus.