FlyDubai plane to Tel Aviv lands in Saudi Arabia after in-flight incident

A plane bound for Tel Aviv had to land this Wednesday in Saudi Arabia following an “incident” in flight, according to the company FlyDubai, with Israeli media reporting an altercation between the pilots.

“Flight FZ 1073, connecting Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport on September 30, experienced an incident en route. The aircraft landed safely at Tabuk airport and all passengers are safe and sound,” said a spokesperson for the Emirati low-cost company in a statement.

Several Israeli media outlets reported a fight between the plane's pilot and co-pilot, during which the plane's distress signal was activated. The incident occurs in a tense context, in the midst of war in the Middle East. The Israeli army took off fighter jets thinking it might be a hijacking by hijackers, a hypothesis quickly ruled out, according to Israeli television channels 12 and KAN.

According to the government, the situation is now “under control, and all necessary measures are being taken to allow the safe return of Israeli passengers.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in contact with several of his ministers during the incident and “continues to monitor the situation,” the government said in a statement. Neither the company nor the authorities of the countries involved have given details at this stage on what really happened on board this flight.

Israeli media, citing unnamed sources, reported that passengers on the flight intervened to separate the pilots during their altercation. They released a photo showing one of them with his t-shirt covered in blood. Israeli TV Channel 12 said authorities were investigating a possible suicide attempt by one of the pilots who tried to crash the plane, which the other pilot allegedly prevented. It was not immediately possible to verify this press information. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli army said it was carrying out “verifications”.

According to data from the Flightradar site, the aircraft suddenly lost altitude during the flight, going from nearly 34,000 feet at 05:21 GMT to less than 17,000 feet at 05:22 GMT. This crisis situation comes not only in the midst of regional conflict, but also in the run-up to elections in Israel next month. The Israeli authorities have several times reported an increased risk for the country in this context, with Benjamin Netanyahu mentioning on Tuesday “clues” of possible attacks before the election.