Flydubai Flight 005, destined for Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a physical altercation between the captain and co‑pilot occurred mid‑flight.
The plane took off from Dubai International Airport early on Wednesday morning and signalled a general emergency approximately two hours into the journey. Within minutes, the crew switched to a hijacking code before reverting to the standard emergency indicator, according to flight‑tracking services.
Iranian and UAE‑based authorities confirmed that the emergency was not due to a hijacking attempt but rather stemmed from a dispute between the pilot and his co‑pilot. The aircraft carried around 150 passengers, most of whom were Israeli.
Instead of landing at Ben‑Gurion Airport, the crew decided to divert to Tabuk Airport in northern Saudi Arabia where the aircraft landed safely. Israeli air‑force jets were dispatched in response and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent consultations about the incident.
