Flydubai Flight Diverted to Saudi Arabia After Hijacking Alert
TABUK, SAUDI ARABIA — WEB DESK: A Flydubai passenger flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after transmitting emergency signals that initially raised fears of a possible hijacking.
Flight FZ1073 landed safely at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia following the mid-air security scare. All passengers were reported safe.
The Boeing 737 initially transmitted squawk code 7700, which indicates a general emergency, before switching to 7500, an aviation code used to signal unlawful interference with an aircraft.
The second signal triggered immediate concerns that the aircraft could have been hijacked. However, transmitting the code does not by itself confirm that a hijacking has occurred.
Israel responded to the alert by scrambling fighter jets as authorities monitored the aircraft. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also held consultations with senior security officials as the incident unfolded.
After the aircraft landed safely in Saudi Arabia, Israeli authorities said the incident was not a hijacking.
Initial accounts from Israeli officials indicated that an altercation between the aircraft’s two pilots may have been behind the emergency. Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft had diverted and landed safely, while authorities continued examining the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The emergency was particularly sensitive because the flight was travelling to Israel at a time of heightened regional security concerns.
Passengers remained safe following the landing, while Saudi authorities responded to the aircraft at Tabuk airport.
Further investigation is expected to establish exactly what occurred inside the cockpit, why the emergency codes were transmitted and what circumstances led to the aircraft’s diversion.
The incident initially triggered a significant aviation and security response, but authorities subsequently ruled out the early fears of a hijacking.
