SAUDI ARABIA: flydubai Dubai-Tel Aviv Flight Lands in Saudi Arabia After Cockpit Altercation

TABUK, Saudi Arabia

• flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers including 27 children landed in Tabuk after cockpit altercation.
• Omani co-pilot suspected of attempting to crash aircraft during struggle.
• Co-pilot stabbed and subdued by other pilot with assistance from Israeli passengers.
• Aircraft squawked 7700 then 7500 before turning back into Saudi airspace.
• Flightradar24 data showed rapid descent from 34,000 feet to 14,000 feet with peak rate of 30,976 feet per minute.
• Israeli authorities initially treated incident as possible hijacking and scrambled fighters before determining cockpit fight caused alert.
• Israeli officials now classify event as terrorist attack and are investigating co-pilot intent.
• flydubai opened investigation and notified Israeli authorities; Saudi and Israeli officials are jointly probing incident.
• flydubai stated all passengers safe and arranged replacement aircraft from Dubai to continue journey to Israel.
• El Al offered to dispatch rescue flight if required.

Sources:

• Ynetnews
• Timesofisrael
• Reuters
• flydubai PR