New Delhi: A Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent incident involving the pilots triggered emergency signals and sparked fears of a possible hijacking. Flydubai flight FZ1073, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was flying towards Tel Aviv when the aircraft transmitted the international emergency code 7700, followed by code 7500, which is associated with unlawful interference or a possible hijacking. The aircraft subsequently diverted and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. All passengers and crew members were reported safe and accounted for. According to Israeli officials cited by Reuters, a physical confrontation broke out between the two pilots inside the cockpit. The co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to interfere with the aircraft’s controls. Passengers and crew members reportedly intervened and restrained the assailant, allowing other pilots on board to help land the aircraft safely.
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Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft underwent a sudden and significant descent shortly before the emergency signals were transmitted. Reuters reported that the plane dropped nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the situation was brought under control. Passengers later described hearing screams from the cockpit and seeing blood. Some accounts said passengers helped crew members gain access to the cockpit and restrain the person involved. However, details from passengers and reports about the exact sequence of events have not been independently verified.
The emergency transmission prompted Israeli authorities to respond amid initial fears that the aircraft had been hijacked. However, an Israeli Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson later said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking. Israeli officials said the circumstances and motive remained under investigation. Saudi authorities reportedly took the suspected attacker into custody after the aircraft landed in Tabuk. Investigations are continuing into the cockpit confrontation and the events that led to the aircraft’s diversion. Flydubai has confirmed that an incident occurred during the flight and that the aircraft landed safely, while investigations are underway to establish the
