Flydubai Plane Transmits Hijack Code After Cockpit Fight

A Flydubai flight en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning unexpectedly transmitted an international distress code indicating a hijacking. The aircraft, carrying 174 passengers including 27 children, turned back over Jordanian airspace, manually descended, and began flying towards Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. The unusual event prompted the scrambling of Israeli fighter jets.

The flight departed the UAE at 7:05 AM, scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport around 9:30 AM. Approximately an hour and a half into the flight, the crew broadcasted the general emergency code 7700, followed by code 7500, which specifically signifies a hijacking.

Simultaneously, the plane briefly disappeared from public tracking applications before reappearing. Israel's security leadership was immediately alerted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz convened an urgent consultation involving the IDF, Shin Bet, Mossad, police, and the National Security Council.

During the tense period, a security official stated there was no definitive information about a hijacking but expressed concern, "We are unable to establish contact with the pilot, and this is worrying." Police Commissioner Danny Levi conducted a situation assessment, adding, "We are preparing for all scenarios."

After a prolonged period of uncertainty regarding the passengers' fate, Israeli security sources provided reassurance, confirming the plane was heading for a landing in Saudi Arabia. Subsequent investigations by Israeli authorities revealed that a physical altercation occurred between the pilots in the cockpit, during which one of them inadvertently activated the distress buttons, triggering the emergency sequence.