A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverts to Saudi Arabia after making distress call

Flydubai Flight FZ1073, carrying more than 170 passengers on a route from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israel, was redirected to Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday after a physical confrontation between the pilots, according to an Israeli official speaking to Reuters. The airline confirmed the aircraft had experienced an incident and landed safely, with all passengers accounted for and unharmed.

The flight took on a heightened sense of urgency as emergency signals from the aircraft briefly raised concerns of a potential hijacking, prompting Israel to deploy fighter jets and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convene an immediate security meeting.

A chronological breakdown of the flight shows the following key moments in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time): takeoff from Dubai International Airport at 03:05, the pilots altering the squawk code from 7700 to 7500 at 05:31, ceasing ground-based tracking at 05:38, finally losing coverage from Flightradar24 at 06:11, the pilots changing the squawk code back to 7700 via satellite at 06:28, and the last signal received at 06:58 before the final landing.

Reports suggest that the incident within the cockpit may have stemmed from one pilot attempting to crash the flight, which was thwarted by the second pilot with assistance from the passengers. An unnamed senior Israeli official stated that "the most severe disaster was prevented" during the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The investigation into the incident has focused on allegations against the co-pilot, who is being probed for attempting to seize control of the aircraft with the intention of crashing it.

Upon landing, passengers provided accounts of a heated altercation between the pilots, including shouting near the front of the plane and what seemed to be a cockpit conflict. The pilots reportedly transmitted emergency signals after engaging in a physical fight, though it remains unclear if the signals were intentionally sent. Local reports indicated that the emergency signal was linked to the cockpit fight rather than an attempt to take over the plane.

Witnesses described hearing the pilots argue, a sudden drop in altitude, and the aircraft's safe landing in Saudi Arabia. Saudi security forces were on high alert at the scene. Following the landing, passengers continued to remain on board, under a significant security presence. Israeli authorities have since clarified that the pilots transmitted the emergency signals after a physical altercation, without clear evidence of intentional hijacking.