A Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers on board, including 27 children, has diverted to Saudi Arabia following a physical confrontation between the pilots that triggered an emergency alert and initially raised fears of a possible hijacking.
The aircraft, which was heading towards Israel, landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after the emergency signal prompted Israeli authorities to scramble fighter jets as a precaution.
Flydubai later established that the alert was activated during an altercation involving the two pilots in the cockpit. The aircraft briefly disappeared from publicly available flight-tracking platforms before reappearing after landing in Tabuk.
The airline has launched an investigation into the incident and informed Israeli authorities, while Saudi and Israeli officials are also examining the circumstances surrounding the emergency.
Flydubai’s chief executive said arrangements were being made to send another aircraft from Dubai to Saudi Arabia to collect the passengers and continue their journey to Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel’s national carrier, El Al, has indicated its readiness to assist with transporting the stranded passengers and could deploy a rescue flight if required.
The aircraft had transmitted a code associated with possible unlawful interference while approaching Israel, prompting an initial security response.
Authorities later concluded that the alert appeared to have been linked to the confrontation inside the cockpit rather than an external hijacking attempt.
Israeli officials said the co-pilot, an Omani national, was suspected of attempting to take control of the aircraft during the confrontation. He was reportedly injured in the ensuing struggle and eventually subdued by the other pilot, an Emirati national, with assistance from passengers on board.
Investigations by the relevant authorities are continuing as efforts are made to safely return the passengers to Israel.
