A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after emergency signals were transmitted following an alleged physical altercation between the pilots.
Flydubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 reportedly carrying about 150 Israeli passengers, was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia after transmitting a general emergency signal while flying over Jordanian airspace.
According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, a second signal indicating possible unlawful interference was transmitted several minutes later.
The aircraft appeared to descend by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal was sent.
Security Alert Triggered in Israel
The emergency signals prompted a major security response in Israel, with authorities initially assessing the possibility of a serious security incident.
However, Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office, told Reuters that the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking.
A Flydubai spokesperson confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an “incident” while travelling to Tel Aviv and was diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely.
The airline said all passengers were safe and accounted for but did not provide further details.
Pilots Allegedly Fought
An Israeli official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, said the pilots transmitted the emergency signals after becoming involved in a physical altercation.
It remained unclear whether either pilot intentionally transmitted the emergency signals.
A passenger’s relative, Yasmin Abu Kasis, said her daughter Miriam, who was aboard the flight, reported hearing screams and seeing a man holding a knife force one of the pilots onto the floor.
“She had heard screaming and that a man holding a knife had forced one of the pilots onto the floor, and that there was blood everywhere,” Abu Kasis said.
Israeli media also published a photograph purportedly showing a passenger with a blood-soaked shirt. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the image.
Passengers to Be Returned to Israel
The Israeli prime minister’s office said the situation was “under control” and that arrangements were being made to return the Israeli passengers to the country.
Flydubai operates daily return flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, with the route normally passing through Saudi Arabian and Jordanian airspace.
The diversion is particularly notable because Saudi Arabia and Israel do not have official diplomatic relations.
The incident follows another Flydubai emergency involving an Israel-bound flight in September 2025. Israeli media reported that a Flydubai aircraft made an emergency landing in Riyadh after a medical incident.
