Flydubai rescue flight carrying passengers lands in Israel

A Flydubai rescue flight carrying passengers stranded in Saudi Arabia after an emergency landing in Tabuk has arrived at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, most of them Israeli citizens. The rescue flight brought back passengers from the earlier Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that was diverted to Saudi Arabia following a violent incident in the cockpit. The aircraft landed safely at Ben Gurion, according to flight-tracking data and Israeli media reports. The Times of Israel reported that emergency medical teams were on standby at Ben Gurion Airport to provide treatment to any passengers requiring medical attention. The development came after Saudi Arabia refused Israel’s request to send an Israeli aircraft to bring back its stranded citizens. According to Reuters, Israel had prepared military aircraft to evacuate the passengers, but Saudi authorities declined the request. CNN had earlier reported that Israel was considering sending either a military aircraft or a plane operated by national carrier El Al to Saudi Arabia to bring back its citizens and other passengers stranded in Tabuk. Instead, Flydubai arranged replacement aircraft to continue the passengers’ journey. The airline had said two alternative aircraft were being sent to Tabuk to transport the passengers and crew. The original Flydubai flight, FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, made an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk after an incident involving the cockpit crew. According to Saudi aviation operator Cluster2, the flight issued an emergency landing request at 8: 44am local time. An emergency was declared at the airport before the aircraft landed safely about an hour later. The captain and co-pilot were injured and taken to hospital, while passengers received medical assistance at the airport terminal. Flydubai said all the passengers — of whom 166 out of 174 were Israeli, according to media reports — were safe, adding that the reasons for the altercation were unknown. Flydubai said the incident resulted from an altercation in the cockpit but stressed that investigations into its underlying causes and motives were continuing. The airline urged against premature speculation while authorities investigated the incident. Israel alleges attempted hijacking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that one of the pilots had attempted to crash the aircraft with passengers on board. He said the suspected attacker was in Saudi custody and was being questioned by authorities. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also alleged that the incident was an attempt to crash the aircraft. However, Flydubai has not confirmed those allegations and has said the causes and motives remain under investigation. According to Israeli officials and media reports, the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with a knife during the flight. An Israeli passenger and members of the crew reportedly helped restrain the suspected attacker. The aircraft also transmitted emergency signals during the incident. According to the Times of Israel, it initially transmitted the international emergency code 7700 before later transmitting code 7500, which indicates a possible hijacking or unlawful interference. Flight data showed the aircraft making a sharp descent before eventually landing in Tabuk. Israeli media reported that the pilots were initially believed to be Russian and Ukrainian nationals, but Israeli authorities later said the alleged attacker was an Omani national and the injured captain was from the UAE. Israeli broadcaster i24NEWS reported that the Omani co-pilot allegedly tried to take control of the aircraft but was restrained by passengers and crew. The exact motive remains unclear. Israeli authorities are also examining how the Omani pilot was cleared to operate a flight bound for Tel Aviv and why a pilot from a country that does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel was part of the crew. The incident triggered an emergency response in Israel, with Netanyahu cancelling his schedule and holding consultations with senior security officials. Israeli authorities said the situation was under control and that efforts were being made to return the passengers safely. The rescue flight’s arrival in Israel brought an end to the passengers’ unexpected stay in Saudi Arabia. Some Israeli passengers had initially expressed reluctance to board a Flydubai rescue aircraft after the cockpit incident, according to Israeli media. Flydubai is a UAE-owned airline established by the Dubai government in 2008. It operates flights to destinations across the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia. Air links between Dubai and Israel expanded after the two countries normalised relations in 2020. Flydubai operates a significant number of flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, alongside Emirates, Israir and El Al.

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