A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a physical fight between its pilots triggered an emergency, an Israeli official told Reuters.
Flight FZ1073 landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The airline confirmed that all passengers were safe and accounted for, but did not publicly explain the circumstances of the reported fight.
The incident prompted a security response in Israel, including the scrambling of fighter jets, after the aircraft transmitted an emergency signal associated with possible unlawful interference.
CNN separately reported that sources had attributed the diversion to a “violent incident” between two pilots.
Emergency signals raised alarm
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was operating a scheduled service from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport when the incident occurred.
According to flight-tracking information reported by aviation publication AeroTime, the aircraft initially transmitted emergency code 7700.
It then briefly switched to code 7500, which indicates unlawful interference, before returning to the general emergency code as it diverted towards Tabuk.
An Israeli official told Reuters that the emergency signals followed a physical altercation between the pilots.
It was not immediately clear whether either pilot had deliberately transmitted the signals.
