A Flydubai passenger plane traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after its two pilots reportedly engaged in a physical fight in the cockpit. The Boeing 737, operating as Flight FZ1073, was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia after transmitting emergency signals while en route to Israel. According to Reuters, the aircraft first sent a general emergency signal before sending another signal indicating possible unlawful interference, commonly associated with hijacking. The incident triggered a major security response in Israel, with fighter jets reportedly scrambled amid fears of a hijacking, but an Israeli official told Reuters that the signals were transmitted after the pilots’ altercation. The aircraft landed safely at Tabuk airport, and Flydubai confirmed that an “incident” occurred and that all passengers were safe and accounted for.
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