DOMINANT ANGLE
Pretoria is interpreting the incident involving flight FZ1073 through the Israeli qualifications of "terror attack" and the emergency codes 7500 and 7700, while maintaining its reservations about what flydubai has not confirmed.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Flightradar24 reports a drop of around 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first distress signal, according to Business Day and Daily Maverick.
- 02
Three Israeli officials speak of a possible "terrorist attack" attempt; Doron Spielman rules out a hijacking and mentions a "different incident".
- 03
flydubai confirms an altercation in the cockpit and a safe landing in Tabouk, but does not say what triggered it, according to The South African.
ANALYSIS
Pretoria, October 1, 2026. South African media are widely covering the diversion of flydubai flight FZ1073, based on agency reports picked up by Business Day, TimesLIVE, and Daily Maverick. The story begins with an Israeli source: the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain during a possible "terrorist attack" on Wednesday, September 30, according to three Israeli officials cited anonymously. These officials rule out any mental health issues and one of them identifies the attacker as an Omani national.
Flight data takes center stage. Flightradar24 reports a drop of nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first distress signal, followed by a code indicating a possible illicit intervention before landing in Tabouk. The Citizen mentions a descent of nearly 34,000 feet to less than 17,000 in one minute, and The South African cites codes 7500 and 7700.
The classification of the incident remains disputed in these articles. The spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister, Doron Spielman, said the event was not considered a hijacking but a "different incident". Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir mentioned a "terrorist" attack. According to The South African, Benyamin Netanyahu claims the co-pilot stabbed the captain and tried to crash the plane.
flydubai, for its part, confirms an altercation in the cockpit and says the plane was secured by its onboard service crews, without specifying what triggered it. The South African notes that the company has not confirmed the exact sequence of events and that investigators are still working.
The human side of the story comes from the passengers. Miryam Shira Ohayon tells AFP that the plane was "pretty much out of control" and praises the resourcefulness of those who neutralized the co-pilot, including a doctor. Almog Itali explains that two relief pilots, one British and one European, stabilized the plane, a takeover that The South African puts in the title. Daily Maverick finally puts the episode in the context of the Dubai-Tel Aviv route, which has become popular since the normalization between the UAE and Israel six years ago.
SOURCES (4)
- The South AfricanMEDIUM
- The CitizenMEDIUM
- Business DayMEDIUM
