A FlyDubai passenger plane traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Israel made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a fight reportedly broke out between the two pilots, raising fears of a possible hijacking.
The flight, carrying dozens of Israeli passengers, was heading from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport when it issued an emergency alert about two and a half hours after takeoff.
According to publicly available flight tracking data, the aircraft suddenly descended from about 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in roughly one minute before making an unusual turn near the Jordanian border. It eventually landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk approximately an hour later.
An Israeli official said a confrontation had taken place inside the cockpit and that one of the pilots was reportedly armed with a knife. A regional official familiar with the incident also confirmed that a fight involving the pilots occurred, although the reason for the confrontation remained unclear.
Both the aircraft’s captain and first officer were injured and taken to hospital, according to a statement from the Tabuk airport carried by Saudi state run Al Ekhbariya television.
Israel scrambled fighter jets after authorities feared the incident could have been an attempted hijacking. However, the situation was later brought under control, and Israeli authorities began working with Saudi and other officials to arrange for the passengers to return home.
Passengers who spoke to Israel’s Channel 12 said they heard shouting from the front of the aircraft and noticed the plane suddenly dip before making the emergency landing.
The airport in Tabuk said the flight issued a distress call at 8:44 a.m. local time and landed safely at 9:45 a.m.
FlyDubai confirmed that flight FZ 1073, which was traveling to Ben Gurion Airport, had experienced an incident and diverted to Tabuk.
“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” the airline said.
The incident comes at a sensitive time for Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently warning of heightened security threats. Israel is also approaching the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and preparing for an upcoming election, while remaining involved in several regional conflicts.
Although Saudi Arabia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, the kingdom lifted its longstanding ban on Israeli aircraft using its airspace in 2022. Since then, Saudi Arabia has assisted with several emergency landings involving Israeli passengers.
The latest incident is now under investigation, with the pilots and crew questioned by authorities. It remains unclear whether anyone has been detained or what triggered the confrontation.
The UAE has become a popular destination for Israeli tourists since the two countries normalized relations in 2020. FlyDubai, a Dubai-based low-cost airline, is a sister carrier of Emirates.
