Flydubai Flight Diverted After In‑Flight Pilot Brawl


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


The Flydubai plane, which rode out of Dubai International Airport early Wednesday morning, signalled an emergency code two hours into the journey according to flight‑tracking website Flightradar24. Minutes later it switched to a hijack code before returning to a general emergency signal.


Israeli defence officials said the signal was issued after an altercation between the captain and co‑pilot. The incident was not believed to be a hijack.


Carrying around 150 passengers—most of them Israeli—the aircraft was due to land at Ben‑Gurion Airport but instead diverted to Tabuk Airport in northeastern Saudi Arabia. The flight landed safely at the Saudi airfield.


The Israeli Air Force dispatched fighter jets in response to the incident, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent consultations with his cabinet.



Flydubai plane on ground

The Flydubai plane took off early on Wednesday morning (Stock photo)