A Dubai to Tel Aviv Flydubai flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an apparent physical altercation between the two pilots triggered emergency signals and briefly raised fears of a hijacking. All passengers were reported safe and accounted for.
Flydubai Flight FZ1073, operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv, landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia after the aircraft transmitted multiple emergency signals while flying toward Israel. The incident prompted Israel to scramble fighter jets as authorities initially treated the situation as a possible hijacking.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, first transmitted the emergency code 7700, which indicates a general emergency. It subsequently transmitted 7500, the internationally recognised transponder code for unlawful interference, before later transmitting another general emergency signal. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft diverting away from Israel and toward Saudi Arabia.
An Israeli official told Reuters that the emergency signals followed a physical altercation between the pilots. Israeli authorities later said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking. Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an “incident” while en route to Tel Aviv and diverted to Tabuk, adding that all passengers were safe and accounted for.
The incident nevertheless triggered a significant security response. Israeli fighter aircraft were scrambled amid concerns that an aircraft approaching the country had potentially been hijacked. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also held consultations with security officials, while his office said the situation was under control and efforts were being made to return Israeli passengers home.
Passengers later reported hearing shouting near the cockpit and described a steep change in the aircraft’s descent before the diversion. One passenger’s relative also recounted claims of a knife and injuries inside the aircraft. Those more specific accounts have not been independently confirmed and remain part of the ongoing investigation.
The precise cause of the confrontation, who activated the emergency codes and what happened inside the cockpit remain unclear. Flydubai said its teams were working with the relevant authorities and that further updates would follow as confirmed information became available.
The incident comes amid heightened regional security concerns and highlights why an aircraft transmitting the 7500 code is treated as an immediate potential security threat, even when the eventual cause turns out to be different.
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