Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv lands in Tabuk after pilots' scuffle
Plane with 174 passengers, including 27 children, landed in Saudi Arabia after an emergency alert; Israeli jets were initially scrambled.
A Flydubai aircraft flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers — including 27 children — diverted and landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia after an emergency alert was triggered during the flight.
Israeli authorities initially treated the alarm as a possible hijacking and scrambled fighter jets, but later determined the alert stemmed from a physical altercation between the flight crew.
Flight tracking and response
During the trip the aircraft briefly emitted a code that indicates potential unlawful interference and also disappeared for a short time from public flight‑tracking services. The plane reappeared on those services after it had safely touched down at Tabuk airport.
Flydubai later confirmed that the emergency signal was activated following a fight between the pilots in the cockpit. The carrier said the aircraft landed without further incident and passengers were taken off the plane.
Israeli officials initially reacted to the signal as a high‑risk security event, prompting the temporary deployment of combat aircraft while the situation was assessed. After investigation, authorities concluded the warning had been caused by the onboard altercation rather than a hijacking attempt.
Photo: Flesh90)
