What We Know About the "Fly Dubai" Flight to Tel Aviv After Sending a Distress Signal?

Sources told Afaq News Network that an "incident of violence" occurred between pilots, leading to the diversion of a Fly Dubai aircraft that was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning local time to land in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Flight tracking data, which Afaq News reviewed, shows that the plane descended by 17,400 feet—from an altitude of 34,000 feet to about 16,600 feet—over northwestern Saudi Arabia in just over two minutes, then the aircraft sent a distress signal before landing in Saudi Arabia.

A spokesperson for Fly Dubai stated that flight number FZ 1073 "experienced an incident during the flight" and landed at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, confirming that all passengers are safe and sound. For his part, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported that the situation is under control and that "all measures are currently being taken to safely return Israeli passengers to Israel."

An Israeli official stated that the incident was not a hijacking, adding that information indicates it was an "internal incident involving the aircraft crew" during the flight. An Israeli military spokesperson told Afaq News that Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz held security consultations, and Israeli fighter jets were dispatched immediately upon receiving the distress signal.

The emergency landing in Tabuk is a rare occurrence for a large number of Israelis arriving in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to flights heading to Israel and Israeli airlines in 2022, as part of normalization efforts led by the United States; however, Riyadh emphasizes that it will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.