TEL AVIV, Israel – A commercial aircraft travelling from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Israel was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, briefly raising fears of a possible hijacking and prompting Israel to scramble fighter jets. Hours later, Israeli media reported that authorities were investigating whether one of the pilots had tried to seize control of the plane in order to crash it.

flydubai flight makes safe emergency landing at U-Tapao airport

Israeli media, citing security officials, reported that the incident was caused by a dispute between the two pilots of the aircraft and that all passengers on board were safe. They landed at Tabuk, a civilian and military base in the Saudi kingdom. A senior Israeli official later told Channel 12 that one of the pilots had allegedly stabbed the other and tried to imitate 9/11 by hijacking the plane and crashing it. This account has not been officially confirmed and other hypotheses are still being investigated.

The FlyDubai aircraft transmitted an emergency alert shortly after take-off, according to publicly available flight-tracking information. According to a regional official briefed on the incident, a fight broke out in the cockpit that apparently involved the pilots, with the reason for the dispute still unclear. A second official confirmed that Israel mobilised fighter jets for fear of the hijacking of a plane carrying dozens of its citizens. According to Israeli media, during the altercation the aircraft began to lose altitude and a second crew of pilots travelling in civilian clothes among the passengers is said to have intervened to regain control.

In recent days, the country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned of unspecified growing security threats. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the incident is still under investigation. Later, Netanyahu’s office said the situation was under control and that work was under way to bring the passengers home. Authorities are now investigating the motivation behind the incident. In addition to the possibility of an attack, Israeli media indicate that they are examining whether the pilot’s behaviour could have been due to a mental health episode or whether he deliberately tried to bring the plane down with the intention of taking his own life.

Flydubai plane crash leaves 62 dead

Emergency landings for crew-related reasons are unusual but not unheard of. In 2022, two Air France pilots were suspended after fighting in the cockpit on a Geneva-Paris flight, although the aircraft did not have to be diverted and landed as scheduled. FlyDubai is the low-cost airline of Emirates Airlines. The Emirates has become a popular holiday destination for Israeli tourists since the normalisation of relations between the two nations in 2020. According to Flight Radar, the incident occurred approximately two and a half hours after take-off.

-Thailand News (TN)