A flyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an incident involving the aircraft’s pilots triggered emergency signals and an Israeli military response.
Flight FZ1073, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered A6-FKF, was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport when the incident unfolded. The aircraft subsequently diverted to Saudi Arabia, landing safely at Tabuk. flyDubai confirmed that all passengers were safe and accounted for.
The aircraft’s flight path showed a dramatic change shortly before the diversion. According to Flightradar24 tracking data, FZ1073 was at around FL340, or 34,000 feet, at approximately 05:21 UTC. By around 05:24 UTC, it had descended to roughly 15,000 feet, representing a loss of around 19,000 feet in approximately three minutes. The tracking data also shows the aircraft subsequently continuing towards Saudi Arabia.
The rapid descent was accompanied by significant changes to the aircraft’s flight path. Publicly available flight-tracking data showed the aircraft transmitting the general emergency code 7700, before later transmitting 7500, the transponder code associated with unlawful interference. The latter raised concerns that the aircraft could have been hijacked.
Israeli authorities responded by scrambling fighter aircraft, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz held security consultations as the situation developed.
The situation was later understood to have been caused by a physical altercation between the two pilots, rather than a hijacking. An Israeli official told Reuters that the pilots had engaged in a fistfight during the flight, while Israeli authorities said the aircraft was not believed to have been hijacked. The exact circumstances surrounding the altercation remain under investigation. The aircraft was reportedly being operated by a Russian captain and Ukrainian first officer.
flyDubai said the aircraft had experienced an “incident” while en route to Tel Aviv and was diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely. The airline said it was working with the relevant authorities as investigations continued.
The diversion was also unusual from a regional perspective. Saudi Arabia does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Israel, meaning the unexpected arrival of an Israel-bound commercial aircraft carrying Israeli passengers added another layer to an already extraordinary flight. Israeli authorities said efforts were being made to return the passengers to Israel.
This is a developing story. More updates to follow.
