File photo: Israeli tourists leave a FlyDubai plane that departed from Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and landed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AP photo)
A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an incident on board, with reports pointing to an altercation between the two pilots.Israeli fighter jets were scrambled amid initial fears of a possible hijacking, while the aircraft later landed safely in Tabuk.The exact circumstances remain under investigation, and several details reported by Israeli media have not been independently confirmed by the airline or authorities.
What happened on the flight?
Flydubai flight FZ 1073 was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv when it experienced what the airline described only as an “incident”.The aircraft landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, and flydubai said all passengers were safe and accounted for.“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” the airline said. “Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available.”According to publicly available flight-tracking data cited by news agency AFP, the aircraft suddenly descended from nearly 34,000 feet to less than 17,000 feet within about a minute.Israeli media reported that an emergency signal was transmitted and that a fight had apparently broken out between the pilots. The exact cause of the altercation has not been confirmed.
What is being reported about the pilot?
According to the Times of Israel, citing the Walla news outlet, the pilot under investigation is Omani.As per Channel 12, a second team of pilots in civilian clothes was travelling as passengers on the aircraft. According to the report, they helped prevent one of the pilots from taking control of the aircraft.Israeli media have further reported that authorities are investigating whether one of the pilots attempted to crash the plane. Channel 12 said authorities were examining whether one pilot had attempted a possible suicide by trying to crash the aircraft, with the other pilot apparently intervening.These reports remain unconfirmed. Neither flydubai nor authorities involved in the incident have provided details on what happened inside the cockpit.
What did passengers report?
Passengers told Israeli media that they heard screams and noticed a sudden descent of the aircraft.One passenger told Israeli media that passengers heard screams before the cockpit was opened and that blood was visible inside. She said Israeli passengers helped crew members restrain the attacker.Another passenger, identified as Noam, told Channel 12 that passengers realised something was wrong after hearing screams.“Screams began on the plane, by passengers who realised what was happening. We understand that one of the pilots was stabbed and seriously wounded, and they lost control of the plane. It started to dive quickly. It was very scary,” she said.Israeli media, citing anonymous sources, published photographs of a passenger wearing a bloodied T-shirt.
Why were Israeli fighter jets scrambled?
Israeli media reported that fighter jets were sent to intercept the aircraft after concerns about a possible hijacking. However, the hypothesis was later dismissed.The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations after concerns over the aviation incident and was monitoring developments.“The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel,” it said.The aircraft was later confirmed to have landed safely in Tabuk.
What happens next?
The incident remains under investigation. Flydubai said its teams were working with the relevant authorities and that further updates would be issued once confirmed information became available.The airline was also sending another aircraft to Tabuk to transport the stranded passengers to Tel Aviv.