A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia following a reported violent incident between its two pilots. Both pilots were injured and hospitalized, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the co-pilot had stabbed the captain before cabin crew members took control of the plane.
A Flydubai flight, FZ1073, en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a reported violent incident between its two pilots. According to Israeli officials, as quoted by CNN, the flight landed safely with all passengers accounted for.
The airline confirmed that the flight had experienced an incident while en route, as reported by Forbes. Both the captain and co-pilot were taken to a hospital with injuries, according to the airport operator in Saudi Arabia, without providing details about the nature of their injuries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video message, stated that the co-pilot had stabbed the captain before cabin crew members entered the cockpit and took control of the plane, as reported by CNN. He added that the co-pilot had been arrested.
The incident prompted an immediate response from Israeli security forces. As reported by BBC, fighter jets were sent in response to the incident, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent security talks. According to Al Jazeera, Netanyahu's office stated that 'the incident is under control , and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel'.
The plane took off from Dubai early on Wednesday and sent an emergency signal about two hours into the flight, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. Minutes later, the signal indicated a possible hijacking before being switched back to a general emergency alert.
Reuters cited Flightradar24 data showing that the flight had suddenly and rapidly descended by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal was sent.
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