A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent confrontation between two pilots triggered emergency signals and a rapid loss of altitude, creating a major security scare.
Flight FZ1073, carrying more than 170 passengers, was travelling toward Israel when the aircraft transmitted an emergency signal and later a code indicating possible unlawful interference. Flight-tracking data showed the Boeing 737 rapidly losing nearly 14,000 feet before the aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Israeli officials initially treated the incident as a possible hijacking, prompting Israeli fighter jets to scramble. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz subsequently described the episode as an attempted jihadist terrorist attack, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said passengers and crew had intervened after one pilot allegedly attacked the other and apparently tried to crash the aircraft. These accounts remain subject to the ongoing investigation.
Flydubai confirmed that an altercation had occurred inside the cockpit. The airline said on-duty crew members managed to secure the aircraft, divert it and land safely at Tabuk Airport. All passengers and crew were reported safe and accounted for. The airline also arranged replacement aircraft to transport passengers onward.
The motive behind the cockpit violence has not been independently established. Reports have differed over whether the incident should be regarded as an attempted terror attack or a violent altercation between pilots. Saudi authorities are investigating the incident, while Israeli officials have described it as deliberate.
The episode has raised fresh questions about cockpit security and emergency procedures on international flights, even as authorities continue examining the sequence of events and the alleged attacker's intentions.
