Flydubai FZ1073, a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday after an altercation in the cockpit left the captain and first officer injured.
What happened on flydubai FZ1073?
According to flydubai, an altercation occurred on the flight deck and crew on board secured the aircraft and landed it safely.
The airline has not confirmed reports of a stabbing, and says the reasons and motives are under formal investigation.
“At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation.”
Flydubai spokesperson, as quoted by Fox News
ABC News reported that the flight issued an emergency warning of possible unlawful interference or hijacking, and that an Israeli security source confirmed a violent altercation on board.
Flydubai’s own statement refers only to an altercation on the flight deck.
When did flydubai FZ1073 land in Tabuk?
The company that operates Tabuk airport said in a statement that the aircraft landed at 09:45 local time (08:45 SAST) and that the captain and first officer were found to have injuries and were taken to hospital.
Flight-tracking data cited by CNN shows the aircraft dropped 17,400 feet in less than two minutes. Passengers later left Tabuk for Tel Aviv on a replacement flydubai aircraft, flight-tracking data indicates.
Who is alleging what?
Israeli officials told CNN they suspect the co-pilot stabbed the captain and tried to take over the aircraft, and, according to reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a pilot may have tried to crash it.
A separate Israeli official told the publication the incident was not a hijacking. Neither flydubai nor the Saudi airport operator has confirmed a motive.
Passengers told Israeli media the plane dived and spun before it was brought back under control. According to the Times of Israel, footage posted online shows passengers tending an injured pilot.
Why was a flydubai flight over Saudi Arabia?
The Dubai to Tel Aviv route crosses Saudi Arabia, which opened its airspace to flights between the UAE and Israel in 2020, Reuters reported at the time.
Globes said the trip takes about three and a half hours over the kingdom and seven if aircraft must go around it.
The diversion comes as the US-Israeli war against Iran as entering its eighth month.
What has been the reaction in Israel?
In Israel, Transport Minister Miri Regev demanded that flydubai flights to the country be suspended and that the aviation agreement with the UAE be examined, the Times of Israel reported.
The paper said flydubai operates eight daily flights from Tel Aviv, and that El Al shares rose more than 7 percent in afternoon trading.
How are cockpits protected against an attack by a pilot?
Cockpit rules were tightened after Germanwings flight 9525 in 2015, when investigators said a co-pilot locked the captain out and deliberately crashed the aircraft.
AFP reported that Emirates and Etihad then adopted a policy of keeping two crew members in the cockpit at all times. Flydubai flight 981 crashed at Rostov-on-Don in 2016, killing all 62 on board.
- CNN live coverage
- The Times of Israel live blog
- Fox News via Yahoo, flydubai statement
- ABC News on X, emergency warning and Israeli security source
- Breaking911 on X, passenger footage post
- The Jerusalem Post, passenger accounts
- Reuters via China Daily HK, Saudi airspace 2020
- Globes, Tel Aviv to Dubai flight times
- AFP via Jordan Times, two-person cockpit rule
- Gulf News, flydubai 2016 crash report
- Emirates and SAA partnership
- flydubai statement (Tabuk airport operator and GCAA statements to be added when located)
This report draws on statements from flydubai and the Tabuk airport operator and on coverage by CNN, ABC News and the Times of Israel. Swisher Post reviewed the ABC News and Breaking911 posts on X on Wednesday, and has not independently verified the passenger footage or the claims made by Israeli officials.
