A Flydubai passenger aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after its two pilots reportedly became involved in a physical altercation in the cockpit.
The Boeing 737, operating as Flight FZ1073, was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia after transmitting emergency signals while flying towards Israel.
According to Reuters, the aircraft initially transmitted a general emergency signal before sending another indicating possible unlawful interference, a signal commonly associated with a hijacking.
The alerts triggered a security response in Israel, with fighter jets reportedly scrambled amid fears that the aircraft had been hijacked.
However, an Israeli official told Reuters that the emergency signals were sent after the pilots became involved in a physical confrontation.
The aircraft subsequently landed safely at Tabuk airport. Flydubai confirmed that an “incident” had occurred and said all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for.
Flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft made a sharp descent during the incident before diverting to Saudi Arabia.
Passengers reportedly heard shouting from the cockpit, while Israeli media reported that one of the pilots may have sustained injuries. Details of the confrontation remain subject to investigation.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said the situation was under control and that arrangements were being made to return the passengers to Israel.
The aircraft was carrying about 150 passengers on one of Flydubai’s regular services between Dubai and Tel Aviv.
The emergency landing in Saudi Arabia was particularly unusual because Riyadh and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations.
The incident occurred amid heightened security tensions across the Middle East, with the ongoing regional conflict raising concerns over aviation safety and security.
