A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was suddenly diverted to Saudi Arabia after an emergency was reported during the journey, which for a few minutes also took the code used to hijack the plane.
Flight FZ1073, with about 150 people on board, mostly Israelis, was headed to Ben Gurion Airport, but ended up at Tabuk Airport, in Saudi Arabia.
According to Flightradar24 data, about two hours after takeoff, the plane signaled code 7700, which indicates a general emergency. A few minutes later, code 7500, used for unlawful interference or hijacking, was activated, before the signal reverted back to 7700.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced that the incident is not believed to have been a kidnapping.
According to Israeli media reports, citing defense officials, the emergency situation is suspected to have been caused by a physical conflict between the pilot and co-pilot. Flydubai has so far only confirmed that the plane “experienced an incident en route” and that the company is cooperating with the relevant authorities to fully clarify the incident.
The incident also caused alarm in Israel. The Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held emergency consultations after the flight was diverted.
The situation became particularly delicate after the plane, mostly carrying Israeli passengers, was forced to land in Saudi Arabia, a country that does not have full diplomatic relations with Israel.
