Emergency landing of a Flydubai plane in Saudi Arabia

A Flydubai airline plane suddenly had to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on its way to Israel. An overview of what is known so far - and what is not:

What we know

Emergency landing: Flydubai flight FZ1073 sent an emergency signal at around 8:44 a.m. local time on the way from Dubai to Tel Aviv and then landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia at 9:45 a.m.

Around 180 Israelis on board: According to the Israeli TV channel N12, the passengers were instructed to remain seated and not to leave the plane.

The pilots: the pilot and co-pilot were taken off board. Both had injuries and were taken to hospital.

Panic on board: An Israeli woman reported to the TV station N12 about great fear among the passengers. There were “screams and panic”.

Netanyahu informs: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the head of government had held consultations on the incident and was following developments. The situation is under control and everything is being done to ensure the safe return of Israeli passengers home.

What we don't know

Did one of the pilots want to crash the plane? This suspicion exists, but has not yet been confirmed. The Israeli news portal “ynet” reported that the plane flew steeply into the depths. One of the pilots prevented the other from crashing the plane with the help of passengers. In Israel there is increasing concern about a possible attempted terrorist attack.

What happened in the cockpit? The broadcaster N12 initially reported that the pilot and co-pilot had fought in the cockpit until one of them lost consciousness. Various Israeli media reports, citing passengers on the plane, that one of the two injured the other with a knife. This has not yet been officially confirmed.

Where are the pilot and co-pilot from? According to N12, the pilot is said to be of Russian descent and the co-pilot of Ukrainian descent. According to “ynet”, the suspected co-pilot actually comes from Oman, and the Russian Consulate General in Dubai told the state news agency Tass that the reports about a Russian pilot did not correspond to the facts.

What happens to the pilots? One of the two is said to have suffered a stab wound. It is not clear whether the incident will have criminal consequences for her.

What happens to the Israeli passengers? They are waiting for their journey home. It is unclear what role the Saudi Arabian authorities will play in this - Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have diplomatic relations. It is unclear whether the Israelis should be brought to Israel with a replacement aircraft or by the Israeli Air Force.