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Tel Aviv, October 1: A FlyDubai flight traveling from Dubai to Israel was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an incident involving the aircraft’s pilots, briefly raising concerns over a possible hijacking and prompting Israel to scramble fighter jets.
The flight, FZ 1073, was en route to Ben Gurion Airport when it issued an emergency alert and diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, landed safely, with all passengers and crew reported safe.
Israeli media, citing security officials, reported that the incident appeared to have resulted from an altercation between the two pilots. A regional official briefed on the matter said a fight reportedly broke out in the cockpit, although the cause of the dispute was not immediately clear.
According to FlightRadar24 data, the aircraft descended sharply from around 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet within a minute, before making an irregular turn near the Jordanian border and later landing in Tabuk.
Israeli officials said the country had scrambled fighter jets after initially fearing that the aircraft carrying dozens of Israeli passengers might have been hijacked. One official said Israel was also investigating whether the incident could have involved an attempted attack, but stressed that the investigation was ongoing.
FlyDubai later confirmed that flight FZ 1073 had experienced an incident and landed safely in Tabuk. The airline said it was working with the relevant authorities and that further updates would be provided as confirmed information became available.
Passengers told Israeli media that they heard shouting from the front of the aircraft and felt the plane descend sharply before landing in Saudi Arabia. They said Saudi security personnel were present around the aircraft after landing.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in the region. Commercial flights between the UAE and Israel have operated since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 2020.
Source: Associated Press (AP)
