Flydubai flight diverts to Saudi Arabia after cockpit emergency, as Netanyahu alleges a crash attempt.
A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after issuing emergency signals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said one pilot stabbed the other and tried to crash the aircraft. There has been no independent confirmation of a hijacking attempt.
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The co-pilot, whom an Israeli official identified as an Omani national, was arrested after the plane landed, Netanyahu said. Israel’s Ministry of Transport said there would be a joint investigation of the incident with the defence establishment. The nationality of the arrested individual has not been independently verified.
The emergency came a day after Netanyahu warned of possible attacks in the run-up to Israel’s October 27 election. Here is how events unfolded:
September 29: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has indications that its “enemies” could try to carry out attacks before the October 27 election. He does not specify the nature of the threat.
Later that night at about 20:30 GMT, opposition leader Yair Lapid receives a security briefing from Netanyahu. After the meeting, Lapid says there is “no reason to put the public in a panic” and says that security threats should be handled professionally rather than used in election messaging.
September 30 at 03:05 GMT: Flydubai flight FZ1073 departs Dubai for Tel Aviv, climbing to 34,000 feet (more than 10,000 metres), according to Flightradar24.
05:21 GMT: Flightradar24 data shows that the aircraft starts with a deep descent, is then followed by a sharp climb and a second steep descent. By about 05:33 GMT, it is flying at roughly 15,000 feet (4,572 metres).
05:28 GMT: The aircraft begins transmitting the emergency transponder code 7700, the internationally agreed-upon code for a general emergency, as it is flying near the border between Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
05:35 GMT: The transponder changes to 7500, signalling unlawful interference; after that, the aircraft turns west, briefly enters Jordanian airspace and then turns back towards Saudi Arabia.
05:44 GMT: Air traffic controllers in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia get a distress call from FZ1073 asking for an emergency landing. Saudi authorities give the time as 08:44 local time.
As the aircraft approaches Tabuk, its transponder switches back to 7700, indicating a general emergency.
06:45 GMT: According to local media, the plane FZ1073 lands safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk.
Flightradar24 receives the aircraft’s final tracking signal at 06:58GMT at Tabuk airport.
Flydubai said the flight experienced an “incident” and was diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely, adding that all passengers were safe and accounted for. The UAE has not publicly commented on the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Later on September 30, Netanyahu said in a video message that the co-pilot stabbed the pilot and apparently attempted to crash the plane.
He added that passengers and a crew member entered the cockpit and restrained the co-pilot. It is not clear what the exact time was when Netanyahu recorded or released the video.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid rejects attempts to connect the Flydubai incident to a security briefing he received from Netanyahu.
“Let me make this clear. Nothing even resembling this morning’s plane incident appeared in the security briefing with the prime minister last night. Nothing similar, nothing reminiscent of it, not even a hint,” he said on X.
Lapid accused government-aligned voices of trying to use the incident for political purposes.
Later that afternoon, footage from international news agencies showed a Flydubai rescue flight, carrying passengers from FZ1073, arriving at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv at 15:34 GMT.