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A Flydubai flight bound for Israel made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a reported cockpit fight between the pilots triggered a distress alert. The incident raised fears of a possible hijacking and led Israel to scramble fighter jets.
The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and officials said all passengers and crew members were safe.
A regional official briefed on the incident said an altercation apparently broke out in the cockpit and involved the pilots. The reason for the confrontation was not immediately known. Israeli media, citing security officials, likewise reported that a dispute between the two pilots had prompted the emergency.
The report triggered an urgent security response in Israel. Authorities initially feared 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 but diverted to Tabuk instead.
Passengers described a tense atmosphere as the emergency unfolded. Travelers told Israel’s Channel 12 by phone that they heard shouting from people seated near the front of the plane, who appeared to have learned about the cockpit dispute. They also reported that the aircraft made a steep descent before landing in Saudi Arabia.
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After the plane touched down, passengers said they remained on board while a large Saudi security presence surrounded the aircraft, according to accounts given to the Israeli broadcaster.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said the situation was under control and that Israeli authorities were working to arrange the passengers’ return home. The incident came after Netanyahu had warned in recent days of unspecified heightened security threats facing Israel.
Flydubai subsequently confirmed that flight FZ1073 had experienced an incident while en route to Ben Gurion Airport and had 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 circumstances of the reported cockpit confrontation remained unclear on Wednesday.
Although pilot disputes severe enough to disrupt a flight are extremely unusual, similar incidents have been reported. In 2022, two Air France pilots were suspended after fighting in the cockpit during a flight from Geneva to Paris. That aircraft continued its journey and landed as scheduled.
The initial concern over a possible hijacking was especially serious in Israel, where aviation security has been shaped by a long history of attacks targeting Israeli travelers and aircraft. Palestinian militants carried out a series of hijackings and attacks involving Israelis during the 1960s and 1970s. Israel has not experienced an aircraft hijacking in decades, but it continues to enforce stringent security measures on flights bound for the country.
Flydubai, a lower-cost sister airline to 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 destination for Israeli travelers.