FlyDubai Flight Diverts to Saudi Arabia After Cockpit Stabbing
FlyDubai Flight 1073 made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a violent altercation between pilots triggered hijacking alarms and scrambled Israeli fighter jets.
A FlyDubai Boeing 737 Max 8 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, September 30. The diversion followed a violent physical altercation between the pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit, during which the aircraft experienced a sudden descent from 34,000 feet to 15,000 feet. Reports indicate a stabbing occurred with a pocketknife, with some sources suggesting one pilot attacked the other to prevent a suicide attempt by crashing the plane.
The struggle triggered a general emergency signal and a hijacking code, prompting the Israeli Air Force and the Government of Saudi Arabia to scramble fighter jets. Israeli jets turned back before entering Saudi airspace. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened emergency security meetings with the Defense Minister and the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces to monitor the situation.
Israeli officials later clarified the event was not a hijacking. All 160 to 180 passengers, many of whom are Israeli nationals, are safe and accounted for. FlyDubai is deploying a replacement aircraft to Tabuk to transport the passengers to Israel, a process being coordinated by the Israeli government despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
