Kochi: A Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a fight reportedly broke out between the pilots, briefly raising concerns about a possible hijacking.
Flight FZ1073, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv when it changed course over Saudi Arabia. Israeli media, citing security officials, reported that everyone on board was safe, while a regional official briefed on the incident said the fight broke out in the cockpit.
According to flight-tracking data cited in reports, the aircraft first transmitted squawk code 7700, the international code for a general emergency. It then briefly switched to 7500, a code used to indicate unlawful interference or a possible hijacking, before the aircraft turned back towards Saudi Arabia.
#FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv squawking 7700 en route to Tel Aviv.https://t.co/BI5p7bTPrw https://t.co/7fUP8XwwP3
The aircraft subsequently landed at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport near Tabuk in northern Saudi Arabia, a civilian and military base in the kingdom.
A second official confirmed that Israel had scrambled warplanes after fearing the aircraft, carrying dozens of Israeli citizens, had been hijacked. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the incident was still under investigation.
The exact underlying reason for the physical altercation between the pilots has not been officially confirmed by Flydubai or aviation authorities.
Shortly after the flight landed, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement saying, “Following concerns over an aviation incident, Prime Minister Netanyahu held consultations on the matter and is monitoring developments."
“The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel.”
Passengers on the plane told Israel's Channel 12 by phone that they heard shouts from passengers toward the front of the plane who had heard the altercation between the pilots, and that the plane dipped steeply before landing in Saudi Arabia.
They also said that all the passengers were staying on the plane and that there was a heavy presence of Saudi security forces surrounding them.
According to Flight Radar, the incident occurred about 2.5 hours after takeoff.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz also held an urgent security consultation following the incident, according to Israeli media reports.
The episode unfolded as the aircraft was approaching Israeli airspace after crossing through Jordanian airspace. Flight-tracking data from flightradar24.com showed the aircraft subsequently making a U-turn and heading back towards Saudi Arabia.
The exact number of people on board was not immediately confirmed.
Flydubai later confirmed that flight FZ1073, en route to Ben Gurion, experienced an incident and landed safely in Tabuk on Wednesday.
“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” the carrier said. “Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available.”
Flydubai is the lower-cost sister carrier of Emirates Airlines. The UAE has become a popular vacation destination for Israeli tourists since the countries normalised ties in 2020.
The circumstances surrounding the emergency signals and the diversion are expected to be examined by the relevant authorities.
(With inputs from AP via PTI, Jerusalem Post, Turkiye Today)