A Boeing 737 from Flydubai, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, suddenly deviated from its course and landed at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. This diversion was caused by a physical altercation between the pilots, which led to emergency codes being transmitted to air traffic control.
Incident Details
According to published information, this flight changed course towards Saudi Arabia while in Jordanian airspace, transmitting emergency signals during the process. A few minutes later, the plane sent out a general emergency signal again and was quickly directed towards Tabuk Airport. Israeli fighter jets were also dispatched to assess the situation, but it seems this action was solely due to concerns about a potential hijacking.
Read more: China to Iran and the US: Return to the Islamabad Agreement
Status of Passengers and Security Measures
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office has stated that it does not believe this incident was a hijacking, but they are still investigating the matter. They emphasized that the situation is under control and all efforts are being made to safely return Israeli passengers to the country. Another plane will be dispatched from Dubai to Saudi Arabia to bring the passengers back to Tel Aviv.
Flydubai also announced in a statement that the incident is under investigation and that the passengers are completely safe. An anonymous Israeli official told the media that the altercation between the pilots led to this emergency situation and the Israeli Air Force is currently assessing the situation.
This flight, which operates daily between Dubai and Tel Aviv, is very popular among Israeli passengers. In light of this incident, Israeli security officials are examining various aspects of this event to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Read more: US lawmakers urge Netanyahu to end violence by settlers · Mohammed bin Salman emphasizes increasing pressure on Iran
