Tel Aviv: A Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an incident involving the pilots, briefly raising concerns about a possible hijacking.
Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737, was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport when it changed course and headed towards Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers were reported safe and accounted for.
According to flight tracking information, the aircraft transmitted a general emergency signal while flying over the region. It later transmitted another emergency signal indicating possible unlawful interference before sending another general emergency signal.
The aircraft also made a rapid descent during the incident. Flight tracking data showed that it dropped by about 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before continuing towards Saudi Arabia.
The emergency signals prompted a security response in Israel, including the scrambling of military aircraft, amid initial concerns that the plane could have been hijacked. Israeli officials later said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking.
An Israeli official told Reuters that the two pilots had become involved in a physical confrontation and that the emergency signals were transmitted during the incident. The official said it was not immediately clear whether either pilot had deliberately transmitted the signals.
The exact cause of the confrontation remains unclear.
Passenger accounts reported by Israeli media described a disturbance in the cockpit, including screams and blood. Some reports also alleged that a knife was involved in the confrontation. These details have not been independently confirmed by the airline or authorities and remain part of the ongoing investigation.
More serious reports have alleged that one of the pilots attempted to take control of the aircraft and deliberately put the plane into a dangerous descent. However, this claim has not been independently confirmed and should not be treated as an established fact.
Flydubai confirmed that Flight FZ1073 experienced an incident while travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv and was diverted to Tabuk. The airline said the aircraft landed safely and that all passengers were safe and accounted for.
The airline said its teams were working closely with the relevant authorities and that further updates would be provided as additional confirmed information became available.
The aircraft landed at Tabuk Airport, also known as Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport, in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The airport serves both civilian and military operations.
The incident also led to consultations among senior Israeli security officials. The Israeli military said Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir held a situational assessment with the commander of the Israeli Air Force and other military officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also held consultations over the incident. His office later said the situation was under control and that Israel was working to arrange the return of the passengers.
The incident occurred as the aircraft was travelling through the region on a route connecting the United Arab Emirates and Israel. The two countries established diplomatic relations in 2020, and Flydubai operates flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv.
Saudi Arabia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, although commercial flights between the UAE and Israel can operate through Saudi and Jordanian airspace.
The investigation is continuing, and several important details remain unclear, including what caused the confrontation between the pilots, who activated the emergency signals and exactly what happened inside the cockpit before the aircraft was diverted.
For now, the confirmed outcome is that Flight FZ1073 reached Tabuk safely and all passengers were accounted for after an unusual in flight incident that triggered a major security response.