Flight forced to make emergency landing in Saudi Arabia
A commercial flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after issuing an onboard emergency alert, reports BritPanorama.
A spokesperson for the airline, FlyDubai, confirmed to NBC News that Flight FZ 1073 had “experienced an incident while en route” from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport.
The aircraft landed safely at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport, commonly known as Tabuk Airport, the spokesperson added.
Initial reports indicated that the FlyDubai flight triggered a 7700 “general emergency” signal, according to aviation tracking site FlightRadar24. The aircraft then switched to a 7500 code, indicating “unlawful interference,” before reverting back to the 7700 signal.
FlightRadar24 noted “extreme fluctuations” in the altitude data transmitted from the flight, with one observation showing a drop of 14,125 feet in just 29 seconds.
Israeli media, including The Times of Israel and Ynet, cited unidentified security officials claiming that the alert was linked to an altercation between the plane’s two pilots. NBC News has not yet confirmed these details.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee expressed relief in a post on X, stating that the incident didn’t escalate to something “more serious.”
“This had everyone in the Middle East (esp Israel) on FULL ALERT this morning,” he noted, adding that pilots diverting to an airport was “not your ordinary experience.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reported that he had consulted on the matter and was monitoring developments closely.
“The situation is under control, and all measures are currently being taken to bring the Israeli passengers back to Israel safely,” his office stated.
The Israeli military confirmed that officials had conducted a “situational assessment” regarding the incident, though no further details were provided.
