A commercial aircraft traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to divert from its intended destination after a physical confrontation erupted between the pilots, according to Israeli authorities.
The Flydubai flight departed from Dubai International Airport early on Wednesday morning. Approximately two hours into the journey, the aircraft broadcast an emergency transponder code, as reported by flight tracking service Flightradar24. Shortly thereafter, the plane switched to a code typically associated with hijacking situations, before eventually reverting to the general emergency signal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office clarified that the incident did not involve a hijacking. Instead, local media outlets citing defense officials stated the distress signals were triggered by an altercation between the pilot and the co-pilot.
The aircraft, carrying roughly 150 passengers, the majority of whom are Israeli citizens, was originally scheduled to land at Ben-Gurion Airport. However, it ultimately made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in northeastern Saudi Arabia.
In response to the unfolding crisis, the Israeli air force scrambled fighter jets to intercept or monitor the aircraft. Prime Minister Netanyahu convened urgent consultations to assess the situation and coordinate the appropriate response.
This is terrifying. I had no idea an altercation could cause them to broadcast such ambiguous distress signals before landing safely.
Wait, they switched to the hijacking transponder code first? That sounds like a massive procedural error by the crew during the chaos.
I’m amazed the passenger took this so calmly. Two hours stuck on the ground in Saudi Arabia while fighters hovered around us?
Can you believe pilots actually fight mid-air? The cockpit crew rules must be incredibly strict for this to happen.