A commercial airliner traveling from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Israel was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. The incident sparked concerns about a possible hijacking, prompting Israel to scramble warplanes. According to Israeli media, citing security officials, the incident was caused by a feud between the plane's two pilots. All passengers and crew on board were reported safe.
The FlyDubai plane, a Boeing 737 Max 8, had departed Dubai two and a half hours prior to the incident. Flight tracking data showed that it abruptly descended from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet within a minute, before making an erratic circle close to the Jordanian border. The plane eventually landed in Tabuk, a civilian and military base in Saudi Arabia, about an hour later. An emergency alert was transmitted by the plane, according to publicly available flight tracking information.
A regional official briefed on the incident confirmed that a fight broke out in the cockpit, apparently involving the pilots. The cause of the fight was not immediately clear. A second official confirmed that Israel had scrambled warplanes due to fears of a hijacking, as the plane carried dozens of Israeli citizens. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently warned of unspecified, escalated security threats.
The Israeli Prime Minister's office later stated that the situation was under control and that Israel was working to bring the passengers home. Passengers on board reported hearing shouts from those sitting near the cockpit, and the plane dipped steeply before landing in Saudi Arabia. They also reported that all passengers were staying on the plane, surrounded by a heavy presence of Saudi security forces.
FlyDubai confirmed that flight FZ 1073, en route to Ben Gurion, experienced an incident and landed safely in Tabuk. The airline stated that its teams were working closely with relevant authorities and that further updates would be issued as additional confirmed details became available. The incident is rare, but not unheard of, as emergency landings for personnel reasons do occur.
A similar incident occurred in 2022, when two Air France pilots were suspended after fighting in the cockpit on a Geneva-Paris flight, although it did not require a diversion and landed as planned. The UAE has become a popular vacation destination for Israeli tourists since the countries normalized ties in 2020. The incident is currently under investigation.
The passengers and crew of the plane are currently in Tabuk, awaiting further instructions. FlyDubai, the lower-cost sister carrier of Emirates airlines, is working to resolve the situation. The incident highlights the importance of maintaining safety and security protocols in the aviation industry.
Key points
- A commercial plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia due to a reported fight between the pilots.
- The incident sparked concerns about a possible hijacking, prompting Israel to scramble warplanes.
- All passengers and crew on board were reported safe, and the situation is currently under investigation.
