Tel Aviv/Dubai: A flydubai passenger flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia on September 30 after an incident involving the pilots triggered a series of emergency signals and briefly raised fears of a possible hijacking. The aircraft, operating as flight FZ1073, landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, with all passengers and crew reported safe.
The Boeing 737 MAX was flying towards Ben-Gurion Airport when its flight path changed over northern Saudi Arabia. According to flight-tracking data, the aircraft initially transmitted squawk code 7700, the internationally recognised signal for a general emergency. It subsequently appeared to transmit 7500, the code associated with unlawful interference or a possible hijacking, before returning to 7700.
Hijack scare triggers Israeli security response
The emergency signals prompted an immediate security response in Israel. Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled towards the aircraft as authorities prepared for the possibility of a security incident. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also held consultations with senior defence and security officials, while the Israeli military said Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir conducted an assessment with senior officers.
Israeli airspace was temporarily closed as the situation developed and was later reopened after the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia. The plane eventually arrived safely at Tabuk airport, where authorities were expected to question the crew and inspect the aircraft as part of an investigation into the incident.
The initial hijacking concern was later ruled out by Israeli officials and security sources. According to those sources, the emergency situation apparently stemmed from an altercation between the two pilots inside the aircraft. The precise circumstances of the reported confrontation were not immediately disclosed.
Flydubai confirmed that flight FZ1073, operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben-Gurion Airport on September 30, had experienced an incident while en route. The airline said the aircraft had landed safely in Tabuk and that all passengers were safe and accounted for.
“The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority,” flydubai said, adding that its teams were working with the relevant authorities and that further updates would be issued as confirmed information became available.
The flight was carrying more than 100 Israeli passengers, with other reports putting the total number of people aboard at around 180. Regardless of the differing passenger estimates, authorities confirmed that everyone on board was safe.
The incident also drew attention because the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. The airline is expected to send another aircraft to Saudi Arabia to transport the stranded passengers back to Tel Aviv.
The episode comes amid heightened sensitivity surrounding aviation operations in the region. Flydubai operates regular services between Dubai and Tel Aviv, following the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel in 2020. The investigation into the cockpit incident and the sequence of emergency signals remains ongoing.
