Israel-bound flight diverted after fight between pilots

An unexpected diversion occurred when a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was unexpectedly rerouted to Saudi Arabia after a confrontation between the pilots, Israeli officials reported to local media. The Flydubai aircraft, which departed Dubai International Airport early on Wednesday morning, signaled an emergency code approximately two hours into the voyage, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.

The code was subsequently altered to indicate a hijacking, before being reverted to the standard emergency signal. Israeli sources cite officials as stating that one pilot violently attacked the other, subsequently being restrained. Passengers reported witnessing the stabbing, which was confirmed by local news outlets. Flydubai flight FZ1073, carrying an estimated 150 people, primarily Israeli, was scheduled to land at Ben-Gurion Airport but instead touched down at Tabuk Airport in northeastern Saudi Arabia.

A spokesperson for Flydubai confirmed the incident, stating that they are closely coordinating with authorities and will provide further updates as more information becomes available. Flightradar24 data revealed a swift descent of the plane over Saudi Arabia, with the aircraft plummeting over 17,000 feet (over 5,000 meters) within less than two minutes following take-off around 05:21 UTC (06:21 BST).

The plane briefly entered Jordanian airspace at 05:40 before looping back into Saudi Arabia, where it initiated its descent for landing. In response to the incident, the Israeli air force deployed fighter jets, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened urgent consultations. In a statement, Netanyahu affirmed that the situation is under control and that efforts are underway to bring the Israeli passengers back to Israel from Saudi Arabia.