Israeli media report that authorities are investigating a Flydubai pilot for a possible attempt to crash a Tel Aviv-bound flight that diverted to Saudi Arabia. The incident occurred on Wednesday when the aircraft lost thousands of meters of altitude in about a minute before making an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Flydubai confirmed that all passengers were safe following the incident.
In a separate event, another Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, designated FZ1081, diverted back toward Dubai, although the reason for this diversion is not yet clear. Flydubai stated that flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced an "incident" en route and landed safely at Tabuk Airport. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737 MAX 8.
A spokesperson for Flydubai confirmed that all passengers were safe and accounted for after the aircraft landed in Tabuk. Reports from Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 indicate that authorities are investigating whether one of the pilots attempted to crash the aircraft, with the other pilot intervening. Israeli media also reported that one of the pilots sustained a stab wound, and initial accounts described the incident as a fight between the two pilots.
Ynet, an Israeli news portal, reported that the aircraft entered a steep descent, and passengers assisted in preventing one pilot from crashing the plane. Images from Israeli outlets showed a passenger with blood on his shirt. There are conflicting reports regarding the nationalities of the pilots, with some outlets stating one was Russian and the other Ukrainian, while others claim they were Omani and Emirati.
Flight tracking data indicated that the aircraft lost approximately half its altitude as it approached the Saudi border with Jordan, dropping from nearly 34,000 feet (10,360 meters) to below 17,000 feet (5,180 meters) within a minute.
In response to the situation, the Israeli military scrambled fighter jets amid initial concerns of a possible hijacking, which were later dismissed. An unnamed senior Israeli government official stated that a major disaster had been averted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office reported that he held consultations regarding the incident and is monitoring the developments, assuring that all measures are being taken to safely return the Israeli passengers to Israel.