Flydubai Flight Diverted After Pilots Clash, Lands in Saudi Arabia

Wed Sep 30 2026 23:20:07 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A Flydubai jet en route to Tel Aviv was diverted to Tabuk after a cockpit altercation, prompting Israeli force response and emergency signalling.

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv faced a sudden diversion when the captain and first officer engaged in a physical conflict. The aircraft triggered an emergency code and later a hijack warning before returning to a general emergency status. Unbeknownst to the crew, the plane was an Israeli outgoing flight carrying about 150 passengers. The jet missed its intended Ben‑Gurion landing, instead touching down at Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Airport. The incident sparked aerial patrols from Israel and urgent discussions at the Prime Minister’s office.

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was unexpectedly diverted after a physical fight between the pilots, Israeli officials told local media.

The jet, which took off early Wednesday morning, signalled a general emergency code about two hours into the flight, flight‑tracking site Flightradar24 reported.

Minutes later the aircraft switched to a code normally used to report a hijacking, then reverted to the general emergency signal, the website said.

Israeli defence officials said the signal was triggered by an altercation between the captain and first officer, rather than an external threat. The incident was not considered a hijacking.

With around 150 passengers—most Israeli—aboard, the flight was destined for Ben‑Gurion Airport but instead landed at Tabuk Airport in northern Saudi Arabia.

In response, the Israeli Air Force dispatched fighter jets to the area and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened emergency consultations on the incident.