A Flydubai passenger aircraft traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv reportedly transmitted emergency and possible hijacking codes after an altercation between the pilots, before diverting to Saudi Arabia and landing safely at Tabuk Airport on Wednesday.
The aircraft, identified as Flydubai flight FZ1073, was carrying 174 passengers and had been scheduled to land at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, according to Israeli media reports.
Ynet reported that a dispute between the captain and first officer in the cockpit preceded the activation of a hijacking-related emergency code. The circumstances surrounding the incident, however, remained under investigation, with conflicting reports emerging over whether the incident was security-related.
Aircraft Transmits Emergency Codes
According to Ynet, approximately 90 minutes after takeoff, while the aircraft was entering Jordanian airspace, it transmitted code 7700, the internationally recognized transponder code indicating a general emergency.
The aircraft subsequently transmitted code 7500, which is used to indicate unlawful interference with an aircraft, including a possible hijacking.
The aircraft then changed course and returned toward Saudi Arabian airspace.
Reports said the plane initially headed south before turning west while remaining within Saudi airspace. It reportedly flew at a relatively low altitude before landing at Tabuk.
Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk confirmed that its Air Traffic Control Center received a distress call from flight FZ1073 at approximately 8:44 a.m., requesting an emergency landing.
The airport said emergency procedures were activated and preparations were made to receive the aircraft.
The plane subsequently landed safely.
Both Pilots Reportedly Injured
Authorities at the Tabuk airport said both the captain and first officer were injured and transported to a hospital for medical treatment.
However, reports differed over the nationalities of the two pilots and the precise circumstances of their injuries.
Israel's Channel 12 reported that the crew included a Russian pilot and a Ukrainian co-pilot.
Ynet, meanwhile, reported a different account, saying the pilot suspected of attempting to crash the aircraft was of Omani origin and the second pilot was Emirati.
These conflicting accounts had not been reconciled in the information available at the time of reporting.
Security Incident Being Investigated
Initial reports suggested that the activation of the hijacking code could have resulted from the confrontation between the pilots.
Channel 12 later reported that the incident appeared not to be security-related and that authorities were examining whether the distress signal and subsequent code had been activated accidentally during an argument between the captain and first officer.
At the same time, Ynet reported that Israeli aviation officials had not ruled out the possibility of a security incident.
An initial assessment cited by the newspaper alleged that one of the pilots had attempted to cause a crash and that the other pilot managed to prevent it, reportedly with assistance from Israeli passengers.
Those claims had not been independently established, and the investigation was continuing.
Israeli Passengers to Be Returned
The incident prompted an emergency response from Israeli authorities because of the presence of Israeli passengers aboard the aircraft.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly ordered military rescue aircraft to Saudi Arabia to bring the Israeli passengers back home.
Flydubai subsequently informed Israeli authorities that it would dispatch a replacement aircraft from Dubai to Saudi Arabia to transport the affected Israeli passengers to Israel, according to Ynet.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said the situation was “under control” and that “all means are now being deployed to safely return the Israeli passengers to Israel.”
The Israel Airports Authority also rejected reports that Israeli airspace had been closed because of the incident.
Investigation Underway
The aircraft's diversion to Saudi Arabia prevented it from completing its scheduled journey to Tel Aviv.
The safe landing at Tabuk allowed Saudi authorities to provide medical assistance to the injured pilots and manage the passengers while arrangements were made for their onward transportation.
The conflicting accounts surrounding the cockpit confrontation, the activation of the emergency codes and the alleged attempt to interfere with the aircraft's operation mean that the precise sequence of events remains subject to investigation.
For now, the confirmed elements reported by the relevant airport authorities are that the Flydubai aircraft declared an emergency, landed safely at Tabuk and that both pilots were subsequently taken to hospital for treatment.
Further findings from aviation and security authorities will be needed to establish why the emergency and hijacking-related codes were transmitted and what occurred inside the cockpit before the aircraft diverted to Saudi Arabia.
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