JERUSALEM | A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent incident in the cockpit that reportedly left one pilot injured and triggered emergency signals, with Israeli officials investigating whether the episode was an attempted terrorist attack.
Flight FZ1073, operated by flydubai, was heading to Tel Aviv when it transmitted a general emergency signal and later a code indicating possible unlawful interference, according to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24. The Boeing 737-8 MAX diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia and landed safely. Flightradar24 reported that the aircraft transmitted the emergency code 7700, followed by 7500, which is used to indicate unlawful interference, before returning to 7700.
Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft experienced an incident while en route to Tel Aviv and diverted to Tabuk. The airline said all passengers were safe and accounted for and that it was coordinating with the relevant authorities. The airline has not publicly confirmed the detailed allegations about what happened inside the cockpit.
Israeli officials told Reuters that the emergency signals followed a physical fight between the pilots. Later, three Israeli officials said the co-pilot was believed to have stabbed the captain during the confrontation. They said cabin crew intervened and helped bring the situation under control before the aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia. Reuters reported that both pilots were hospitalized with injuries.
The incident prompted an Israeli security response after the aircraft transmitted the unlawful-interference signal. Israeli officials initially feared a possible hijacking and scrambled military aircraft, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. The aircraft was later determined to have been diverted because of the incident involving the pilots rather than a conventional hijacking.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently convened a security meeting over the incident. His office said the situation was under control and that measures were being taken to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel. Netanyahu also said a pilot had stabbed another pilot and appeared to have attempted to crash the aircraft, according to the Associated Press. That account remains part of the ongoing investigation.
Passenger accounts cited in media reports described screaming and a struggle inside the cockpit. Reuters reported that a relative of an Israeli passenger said the passenger saw a man with a knife forcing one of the pilots to the floor. Reuters said it could not independently verify a photograph reportedly taken inside the aircraft that appeared to show blood.
The aircraft also made a rapid descent during the incident. Flightradar24’s analysis showed the flight descending from about 34,000 feet before stabilizing and diverting toward Tabuk. The tracking data provides independent evidence of the aircraft’s emergency maneuvers, although it does not establish what caused the descent.
The safe landing in Saudi Arabia was significant because Saudi Arabia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations. Saudi authorities nevertheless allowed the aircraft to land at Tabuk after the emergency, while efforts were made to arrange the passengers’ onward journey to Israel. Reuters reported that flydubai was preparing arrangements to return the passengers.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of expanding aviation links between Israel and the United Arab Emirates following the 2020 Abraham Accords, under which the two countries established diplomatic relations. Flydubai is among the airlines operating between the UAE and Israel, and Israel’s Airports Authority lists the carrier among airlines serving Ben Gurion Airport.
As of Wednesday, authorities had not publicly established the motive behind the cockpit attack. Israeli officials were examining whether it constituted an attempted terrorist attack, while flydubai confirmed only the onboard incident, safe diversion and safe status of the passengers. The investigation is expected to determine what happened inside the cockpit and why the aircraft transmitted the unlawful-interference signal.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
