Flydubai Flight Diverted to Saudi Arabia After Hijacking Alert as Israeli Jets Scrambled

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A Flydubai passenger flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after transmitting emergency signals, including a code indicating possible hijacking or unlawful interference.

The Boeing 737 was carrying more than 170 passengers, including a large number of Israelis, when it issued the emergency code 7700 before transmitting code 7500, which is associated with a possible hijacking.

The aircraft turned away from Israel while flying over Saudi Arabia, prompting Israeli fighter jets to scramble as authorities sought to establish what was happening on board. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also convened an urgent security consultation.

The aircraft later landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Israeli security sources subsequently said the incident was apparently caused by an altercation between the pilots, rather than a hijacking.

The incident triggered a major security response because of the hijacking code and the loss of normal flight tracking during part of the incident.

Further details about what happened inside the cockpit are expected to emerge following questioning of the crew and passengers.

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