A Flydubai aircraft bound for Tel Aviv was forced to divert to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia after a physical fight erupted between the captain and co‑pilot early on Wednesday morning.
The flight, which departed from Dubai International Airport shortly after midnight, signalled an emergency code two hours into the journey according to the flight‑tracking site Flightradar24. Minutes later the aircraft switched to a hijack code before reverting to the general emergency signal.
Israeli officials clarified that the incident was not a hijacking but the result of an altercation on board. The plane, carrying around 150 passengers—most of them Israeli—was initially scheduled to land at Ben‑Gurion Airport but diverted to the nearest airfield, Tabuk Airport, upon request.
In response, the Israeli Air Force dispatched fighter jets towards the aircraft and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened urgent consultations to assess the situation. The incident was resolved with the aircraft landing safely and all passengers safely disembarked.
The event has raised fresh questions about cockpit safety and the protocols for handling in‑flight disputes. Meanwhile, authorities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are reviewing procedures to ensure such incidents remain isolated.
