Flydubai flight to Israel reports incident, lands safely, passengers safe

A flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after experiencing an incident while en route on Wednesday, September 30.

Flight FZ 1073, operating from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), was diverted to Tabuk Airport (TUU). According to flydubai, all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for.

Flydubai Confirms Safe Landing

A flydubai spokesperson confirmed that the aircraft landed safely at Tabuk Airport.

The airline said its teams are working closely with the relevant authorities and that further updates would be provided once additional confirmed information becomes available.

Flydubai also stressed that the safety and well-being of its passengers and crew remain its highest priority.

Flight Reportedly Signalled Emergency

The airline's statement followed several unconfirmed reports on social media and in other media outlets regarding the incident.

According to Flightradar24 flight-tracking data, the aircraft, identified as FDB1073, transmitted the 7700 transponder code, which is the general emergency signal used by aircraft.

The data also showed that the flight had earlier transmitted 7500, a code associated with unlawful interference, before switching to 7700 while flying near Tabuk at an altitude of around 5,000 feet.

The aircraft subsequently landed at Tabuk Airport.

Reports Point to Pilot Altercation

The incident was later reported by Israeli officials to have involved an altercation between the pilots on board the aircraft.

However, flydubai has not provided further details about the circumstances that led to the diversion.

The Israeli military said IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir held an assessment of the incident with senior officers, including Israeli Air Force chief Maj Gen Omer Tischler, Operations Directorate chief Maj Gen Itzik Cohen and Intelligence Directorate chief Maj Gen Shlomi Binder.