Israel-bound FlyDubai flight lands in Saudi Arabia after reported cockpit altercation

• FlyDubai flight FZ 1073 from Dubai to Ben Gurion diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday

• Israeli media and a regional official linked the incident to an apparent altercation involving the pilots

• Israel deployed warplanes amid hijacking concerns, before officials said the situation was under control

A FlyDubai aircraft travelling from Dubai to Israel made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a reported cockpit altercation, triggering initial fears of a hijacking and prompting Israel to scramble warplanes.

The aircraft landed in Tabuk, which serves both civilian and military aviation. Israeli media, citing security officials, reported that everyone on board was safe and attributed the incident to a dispute between the two pilots.

FlyDubai confirmed that flight FZ 1073, bound for Ben Gurion Airport, had experienced an incident and landed safely. The airline did not specify what had happened.

“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” the carrier said, adding that it would provide updates as more details were confirmed.

Publicly available flight-tracking information showed that the aircraft transmitted an emergency alert. According to FlightRadar24, it descended from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet within a minute, around two and a half hours after leaving Dubai.

The aircraft then followed an irregular circular course near the Jordanian border before landing in Tabuk about an hour later. Tracking data identified it as a Boeing 737 Max 8.

A regional official briefed on the incident said a fight had broken out in the cockpit and apparently involved the pilots. The cause was not immediately clear.

A second official confirmed that Israel had deployed warplanes because of concerns that an aircraft carrying dozens of Israeli citizens might have been hijacked. Both officials spoke anonymously because the incident remained under investigation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office later said the situation was under control and that efforts were under way to bring the passengers home.

Passengers speaking by telephone to Israel’s Channel 12 described shouting from the front of the cabin, where travellers could apparently hear the cockpit dispute. They also reported a steep descent before the aircraft landed.

The passengers said they remained on board after landing, with a substantial Saudi security presence around the aircraft.

The alert came after Netanyahu had warned in recent days of heightened security threats without specifying their nature.

Cockpit disputes requiring intervention are unusual, although there have been previous incidents. In 2022, Air France suspended two pilots following a fight during a Geneva–Paris flight. That aircraft continued to its destination without being diverted.

Commercial flights between Israel and the United Arab Emirates began after the countries normalised relations in 2020. Dubai has since become a popular holiday destination for Israeli travellers.

With PTI inputs