WATCH: BRAWL BREAKS OUT during flight
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A Flydubai flight bound for Israel made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a reported confrontation between the pilots triggered a distress alert. The incident sparked fears of a possible hijacking and led Israel to deploy fighter jets.
Flight FZ1073, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Officials said all passengers and crew members were safe.
A regional official familiar with the incident said a dispute erupted in the cockpit and apparently involved the two pilots, although the cause of the confrontation was not immediately known. Israeli media, citing security officials, likewise reported that an argument between the pilots prompted the emergency diversion.
The alert triggered an immediate security response in Israel. Authorities initially worried that the aircraft, which was carrying dozens of Israeli citizens, might have been hijacked. A second official confirmed that Israeli fighter jets were scrambled as the situation developed.
Israeli tourists leave a FlyDubai plane which departed from Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and landed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Malak Harb)
Publicly available flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft issued an emergency alert while in the air. Flight FZ1073 had left Dubai for Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv before diverting to Tabuk.
Passengers told Israel’s Channel 12 that the atmosphere became tense as the emergency unfolded. In phone interviews, travelers said they heard shouting from people seated near the front of the cabin, who appeared to have learned about the cockpit dispute. Some passengers also reported that the plane made a steep descent before landing in Saudi Arabia.
Once the aircraft reached the ground, passengers remained inside while a large Saudi security contingent surrounded the plane, according to accounts given to the Israeli broadcaster.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said the situation had been brought under control and that Israeli authorities were working to arrange the passengers’ return home. The incident occurred as Netanyahu had recently warned of unspecified elevated security threats facing Israel.
Flydubai confirmed that Flight FZ1073 encountered an incident while en route to Ben Gurion Airport and subsequently landed safely in Tabuk.
“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” the airline said. “Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available.”
The precise details of the reported cockpit confrontation remained uncertain on Wednesday.
Serious disputes between pilots that disrupt a flight are uncommon, but similar cases have been reported. In 2022, two Air France pilots were suspended after fighting in the cockpit during a Geneva-to-Paris flight. That aircraft continued its journey and landed as scheduled.
The initial concern over a possible hijacking carried particular significance in Israel, where aviation security has been shaped by a long history of attacks targeting Israeli passengers and aircraft. Palestinian militants carried out multiple hijackings and other attacks involving Israelis during the 1960s and 1970s. Israel has not faced an aircraft hijacking in decades, but it continues to enforce strict security measures on flights traveling to the country.
Flydubai, a lower-cost sister airline of Emirates, began operating flights between Israel and the United Arab Emirates after the two countries normalized relations in 2020. The agreement made the UAE a major travel destination for Israeli visitors.
