A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted after a physical fight broke out between the pilots, according to Israeli officials who spoke to local media. The Flydubai plane took off from Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates early on Wednesday morning, and two hours into the flight it sent an emergency signal.
Minutes later the signal changed to one used to report a hijacking, before being switched back to the general emergency code, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. The incident was not believed to have been a hijacking, according to Israeli officials.
Instead, the signal was thought to have been issued following an altercation between the pilot and co-pilot, local media reported citing Israeli defence officials. The plane carried around 150 people, most of whom are Israeli, and was headed for Ben-Gurion Airport but landed at Tabuk Airport in northeastern Saudi Arabia instead.
Israeli fighter jets were dispatched in response, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent consultations on the incident.
Signal Sequence
The plane first sent an emergency code two hours into the flight, as tracked by Flightradar24. Minutes later the code changed to one used to report a hijacking, a signal that would have raised alarms across regional air traffic control.
The signal was then switched back to the general emergency code. The change from hijack to general emergency suggests the crew was trying to clarify the situation.
Official Statements
Israeli officials told local media that a fight between the pilots caused the diversion. The Israeli prime minister’s office confirmed the incident was not a hijacking, and Israeli defence officials cited the altercation as the reason for the emergency signal.
The distinction matters for how the incident was handled. A hijacking would have triggered a far more aggressive response from Israeli forces. Instead, fighter jets were scrambled as a precaution.
The Plane and Its Passengers
The Flydubai plane was carrying around 150 people, most of whom are Israeli. The destination was Ben-Gurion Airport, but the aircraft touched down at Tabuk Airport in northeastern Saudi Arabia.
The diversion meant passengers had to navigate through a country they likely would not otherwise have visited.
Fighter Jet Response
The Israeli air force dispatched fighter jets in response to the incident. Prime Minister Netanyahu held urgent consultations on the matter.
The scramble suggests Israeli authorities treated the situation seriously. Fighter jets are a visible response, and their deployment indicates a high alert level.
Event Timeline
- The plane took off from Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates early on Wednesday morning.
- Two hours into the flight, the plane sent an emergency signal, tracked by Flightradar24.
- Minutes later the signal changed to one used to report a hijacking.
- The signal was then switched back to the general emergency code.
- Israeli officials said the signal was issued following an altercation between the pilot and co-pilot.
- The plane diverted to Tabuk Airport in northeastern Saudi Arabia.
- Israeli fighter jets were dispatched in response.
- Netanyahu held urgent consultations on the incident.
Aftermath
The diversion is a rare public example of a commercial flight signalling distress mid-air. Flightradar24’s tracking data shows the sequence of codes, and the Israeli government’s response was immediate and forceful.
“The incident was not believed to have been a hijacking.”
That line, from Israeli officials, is the clearest statement of intent from the government. The signal was a call for help, not a declaration of trouble.
Signal Change Explanation
The change from hijack to general emergency is the most puzzling element of the report. The decision to switch back suggests the crew wanted to communicate a different situation.
Local media reporting cited Israeli defence officials on the altercation, but the exact nature of the fight — whether it involved physical contact, verbal disputes, or equipment failure — remains unconfirmed. The officials described the signal as coming from the altercation, but they did not elaborate further.
Passenger Experience
The diversion to Tabuk Airport would have required coordination with Saudi authorities, and passengers would have faced an unexpected layover in a country they likely would not otherwise have visited.
The diversion meant a longer trip and an unexpected layover in a country they likely would not otherwise have visited.
Bottom Line
This was a serious incident. A fight between pilots forced a plane to divert, and fighter jets scrambled in response.
The signal was a call for help, not a declaration of trouble. The pilots were doing their job, and the system worked.
The lesson is simple: planes can fail, crews can argue, and sometimes the safest move is to land somewhere safe. That happened here.
See the a run of 31 images at the BBC.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.