Just after 7am on September 30 (local time), Flydubai flight FZ1073 left Dubai International Airport, bound for Tel Aviv, Israel. About 170 passengers were on board, the majority of whom were reportedly Israeli nationals.
More than two hours into the flight, the plane suddenly plunged more than 4,000 metres in about a minute. A few minutes later, it broadcast a general emergency “squawk” code, followed shortly afterwards by another code indicating “unlawful interference” or hijacking.
