A Flydubai passenger aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an incident reportedly involving the two pilots.
The flight, identified as FZ1073, issued a distress call while en route to Israel and requested an emergency landing at Tabuk’s Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport. The aircraft landed safely at around 9:45 a.m. local time, according to Saudi airport authorities.
The Flydubai flight diverted to Saudi Arabia after emergency signals from the aircraft briefly raised concerns about a possible hijacking. However, Israeli officials later said the incident was linked to an apparent physical altercation between the pilots rather than a takeover attempt.
Both the captain and co-pilot reportedly suffered injuries and were taken to hospital for medical treatment after the aircraft landed. The exact circumstances of the reported fight have not been officially disclosed, and an investigation is expected to determine what happened inside the cockpit.
Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an “incident while en route” and was diverted to Tabuk. The airline said all passengers were safe and accounted for.
The emergency landing prompted a security response in Israel, with officials initially assessing whether the aircraft had been hijacked. Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office later said the situation was under control and that arrangements were being made to safely return Israeli passengers to the country.
Tabuk airport, located in northwestern Saudi Arabia, serves both civilian and military aviation. The incident comes amid heightened security sensitivities surrounding flights between the Gulf region and Israel.
Authorities and the airline have not yet provided further details about the pilots’ injuries, the number of passengers on board or the arrangements for continuing their journey to Tel Aviv.
