Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv makes emergency landing in Saudi Arabia following cockpit altercation
What happened
A Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv from Dubai made an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday following a violent altercation between the two pilots on board.
During the incident, the aircraft experienced a rapid descent, with reports indicating it dropped from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in approximately one minute.
Reports and passenger accounts indicate that the pilots were involved in a knife fight, with one pilot reportedly being stabbed.
Why it matters
The flight transmitted emergency squawk codes 7700 and 7500, the latter of which specifically signals unlawful interference or a possible hijacking, creating significant security concerns.
Context
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737 MAX 8, registration A6-FKF, which departed Dubai at 03:05 UTC.
Sources 4 sources
This briefing cites 3 publishers across 3 detected independent reporting streams.
- Newsweek Israel Plane Suspected Hijacking: Videos Show Panic After Pilot 'Stabbed'
- The Irish News Fight between pilots forces Tel Aviv flight to make an emergency landing
- The Sun Nigeria Pilots in knife fight as Israel-bound flight lands in Saudi Arabia
- Ksevradio The Media Line : Fight in the Cockpit : Israel - Bound Flydubai Jet Drops Thousands of Feet Before Saudi Landing – KSEV Radio