A FlyDubai flight travelling from Dubai to Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an onboard dispute between the pilots triggered intense security concerns and a brief hijacking scare.
Flight FZ 1073, carrying 174 passengers including 27 children, sent out a general emergency alert shortly after takeoff, followed minutes later by a code indicating potential “unlawful interference”.
Regional officials and security sources revealed that the alarming signals were the result of a physical altercation that broke out inside the cockpit between the two pilots.
The sudden transmission and abrupt manoeuvres—including a rapid descent tracked by flight data—prompted Israel to scramble warplanes out of caution. The Boeing 737 ultimately diverted and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where security forces surrounded the aircraft.
Passengers reported hearing shouts from the cabin’s front as the plane steeply descended before landing.
FlyDubai confirmed an in-flight incident and safe landing, stating they are cooperating with investigations, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office assured the situation is under control and efforts are underway to bring passengers home.
