Flight FZ1073 travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv landed safely in Tabuk after transmitting emergency codes; reports say an altercation between the pilots triggered the incident.
Dubai/Tel Aviv: A flydubai passenger flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after transmitting a series of emergency signals while flying over the region, briefly triggering fears of a possible hijacking.
Flight FZ1073, operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, eventually landed safely at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The aircraft was carrying around 180 passengers, according to media reports.
Flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft transmitted the international emergency code 7700 while in flight. The code indicates a general emergency and does not, by itself, indicate a hijacking. The aircraft was subsequently reported to have transmitted code 7500, which is internationally used to indicate unlawful interference with an aircraft.
The alerts and a change in the aircraft’s course prompted an immediate security response. Israeli authorities initially considered the possibility of a hijacking and Israeli fighter jets were reportedly scrambled as a precaution.
However, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office later said the incident was not believed to be a hijacking. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emergency security consultation as authorities worked to ensure the safe return of the Israeli passengers,
The aircraft also made a significant change in altitude during the incident. Flight-tracking data indicated a steep descent while the aircraft was over Saudi Arabia, although the precise circumstances behind the change in altitude have not been independently established.
According to reports citing Israeli officials and passengers, the emergency situation may have resulted from a physical altercation between the two pilots in the cockpit. Passengers reportedly heard shouting and commotion towards the front of the aircraft before the plane changed course and headed towards Tabuk.
The exact sequence of events inside the cockpit, including what led to the reported altercation and the activation of the emergency signals, remains under investigation.
After landing in Tabuk, passengers remained on board while Saudi security personnel secured the aircraft, according to reports. There were no immediate reports of injuries among the passengers.
Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an incident and was diverted to Tabuk. The airline said it was working closely with the relevant authorities and would provide further information as confirmed details became available.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns surrounding aviation in the region. The Dubai-Tel Aviv route is regularly operated by flydubai and has become an important air link between the United Arab Emirates and Israel following the normalisation of relations between the two countries in 2020.
The unusual emergency also comes several years after a separate incident involving two Air France pilots who were suspended following a physical confrontation in the cockpit during a 2022 flight from Geneva to Paris. That aircraft completed its journey without being diverted.
Authorities are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the flydubai incident and the events that led to the aircraft’s emergency diversion to Saudi Arabia
