Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after transmitting emergency signals during a reported cockpit altercation.
A Flydubai passenger flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an emergency incident reportedly involving an altercation between the pilots.
Flight FZ1073 departed Dubai International Airport for Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport before changing course and landing safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an incident during the journey and said all passengers were safe and accounted for.
Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 reported that the aircraft initially transmitted the general emergency code 7700, followed minutes later by 7500, a code associated with unlawful interference or a possible hijacking, before switching back to the general emergency signal.
The alert initially raised fears of a hijacking and prompted a security response in Israel. However, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office later said the incident was not being treated as a hijacking. An Israeli official told Reuters that the emergency developed following a physical altercation between the pilots.
Passenger accounts cited by international media described shouting and a disturbance aboard the aircraft, with reports that crew members and passengers became involved in bringing the situation under control. Some details surrounding the incident remain unverified by Flydubai or Saudi authorities.
The aircraft eventually landed safely in Tabuk, while authorities continued investigating what triggered the cockpit disturbance and emergency signals.