Kochi: A Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, briefly raising concerns about a possible hijacking and prompting Israel to scramble warplanes.
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.
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.
The aircraft subsequently landed at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport near Tabuk in northern Saudi Arabia.
#FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv squawking 7700 en route to Tel Aviv.https://t.co/BI5p7bTPrw https://t.co/7fUP8XwwP3
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) September 30, 2026
What triggered the emergency signal?
The exact cause of the incident was not immediately established.
Israeli media reports cited a possible altercation between the two pilots as the reason for the emergency signal. That account has not been independently confirmed.
There was also no immediate confirmation that the aircraft had been hijacked. Later reports on The Jerusalem Post indicated that the aircraft had landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
Israeli security response
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 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 independently confirmed.
The circumstances surrounding the emergency signals and the diversion are expected to be examined by the relevant authorities.
(With inputs from AP, Jerusalem Post, Turkiye Today)
