Flydubai flight lands safely in Saudi Arabia after cockpit brawl

• The incident initially raised fears of a hijacking after the aircraft transmitted emergency signals while over the region.
• An ‘Israeli’ official told Reuters that the signals were sent after the two pilots became involved in a physical altercation.
• ‘Israeli’ authorities later said the incident was not a hijacking.
• The aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

The Flydubai flight that triggered a brief hijacking scare on Wednesday landed safely at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia after an emergency situation caused by a physical altercation between the pilots, according to an ‘Israeli’ official.

Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when it transmitted a general emergency signal and later a signal indicating possible unlawful interference while flying over the region. The aircraft was subsequently diverted toward Saudi Arabia and landed at Tabuk.

An ‘Israeli’ official told Reuters that the pilots had transmitted the emergency signals after getting into a physical fight. ‘Israel's prime minister's office said the incident was not a hijacking. 

The incident prompted ‘Israeli’ authorities to conduct security assessments and scramble military aircraft as initial concerns focused on the possibility of a hijacking.

Read more: ‘Israeli’ media reports possible hijacking of Flydubai flight