A commercial plane en route from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Israel was forced to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. The incident briefly raised concerns of a possible hijacking, prompting Israel to scramble warplanes.
Israeli media, citing security officials, stated that the incident was caused by a feud between the plane's two pilots. All individuals onboard are reported to be safe. The plane landed at Tabuk, which serves as both a civilian and military base.
The FlyDubai flight FZ 1073 transmitted an emergency alert. Flight-tracking information from FlightRadar24 indicated that approximately two and a half hours after departing Dubai, the Boeing 737 Max 8 abruptly descended from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet within a minute. It then made an erratic circle near the Jordanian border before landing in Tabuk about an hour later.
A regional official, who was briefed on the incident, said a fight broke out in the cockpit, apparently involving the pilots. The cause of the altercation was not immediately clear. A second official confirmed that Israel had scrambled warplanes due to fears of a hijacking, as the plane was carrying dozens of Israeli citizens. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office later stated the situation was under control and efforts were underway to bring the passengers home.
Passengers informed Israel's Channel 12 by phone that they heard shouts from the front of the plane, where the altercation between the pilots reportedly occurred, and that the plane dipped steeply before landing. They also reported a heavy presence of Saudi security forces surrounding the plane, with all passengers remaining onboard.
FlyDubai confirmed that flight FZ 1073, bound for Ben Gurion, experienced an incident and landed safely in Tabuk. The carrier stated its teams are working with relevant authorities and further updates would be provided as confirmed details become available.