In brief
Early Wednesday, a Flydubai aircraft taking off from Dubai International Airport for Tel Aviv sent an emergency signal after a fight broke out between its pilots. The flight later reported a hijack code before reverting to a general emergency alert. Israeli officials confirmed the pilots were in conflict, not hijackers, and dispatched fighter jets in response. The plane, carrying about 150 passengers—most Israelis—landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia instead of its intended destination at Ben‑Gurion Airport.
A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was unexpectedly diverted after a physical fight between the pilots, Israeli officials told local media.
The Flydubai plane, which rode out of Dubai International Airport early Wednesday morning, signalled an emergency code two hours into the journey according to flight‑tracking website Flightradar24. Minutes later it switched to a hijack code before returning to a general emergency signal.
Israeli defence officials said the signal was issued after an altercation between the captain and co‑pilot. The incident was not believed to be a hijack.
Carrying around 150 passengers—most of them Israeli—the aircraft was due to land at Ben‑Gurion Airport but instead diverted to Tabuk Airport in northeastern Saudi Arabia. The flight landed safely at the Saudi airfield.
The Israeli Air Force dispatched fighter jets in response to the incident, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent consultations with his cabinet.
