KATHMANDU: A flydubai passenger aircraft en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia following a heated altercation between the pilots. The flight was redirected to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia after the onboard dispute created an emergency situation.
Flight tracking data revealed that the aircraft dropped from an altitude of 34,000 feet to approximately 16,600 feet within a span of two minutes. The plane transmitted the ‘7500’ emergency code, which signals a hijacking or unlawful interference, triggering a heightened security response. Israeli authorities placed fighter jets on standby and temporarily halted flights from Ben Gurion Airport as a precautionary measure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz convened an emergency security meeting upon receiving reports of the incident. Israeli officials later confirmed that the situation was not a hijacking, but rather an internal dispute between crew members. There were 174 passengers on board, including 27 children. Once the aircraft landed safely in Saudi Arabia, concerns regarding a potential hijacking were dismissed. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident.
