By Ameh Sunday Enyo-ojo
A FlyDubai passenger aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia after what sources described as a “violent incident” between the two pilots onboard.
The aircraft, which was heading to Israel, issued an emergency signal while flying over northwestern Saudi Arabia, prompting an immediate security response.
According to flight-tracking data reviewed by CNN, the aircraft descended about 17,400 feet — from 34,000 feet to approximately 16,600 feet — in just over two minutes at around 1:20 a.m. ET.
The aircraft subsequently transmitted an emergency signal at about 1:32 a.m. ET, raising initial concerns that the flight could have been hijacked.
An Israeli official, however, said the incident was not a hijacking, describing it instead as an internal personnel incident aboard the aircraft.
The emergency prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz to hold a security consultation, while Israeli fighter jets were scrambled following the emergency signal.
The aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed in Tabuk. The passengers were reported safe, while authorities worked to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
The incident remains under investigation. FlyDubai has not, in the reports reviewed, provided a detailed public account of what happened inside the cockpit.
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