Flydubai Pilots' Fight Triggers Hijacking Scare Over Jordan

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced a significant security scare on Wednesday morning when its pilots engaged in a physical altercation in the cockpit, leading the aircraft to transmit distress codes. The flight, FZ 1073, initially broadcast code 7700, indicating a general emergency, followed by code 7500, which is used to signal a hijacking. The incident caused alarm in Israel, prompting the scramble of fighter jets and emergency consultations involving the Prime Minister and top defense officials.

After a tense period of minutes where the plane disappeared from radar near Jordan, contact was reestablished, and the aircraft reappeared on tracking applications. It was subsequently diverted to Saudi Arabia, where authorities removed the pilots. Flydubai confirmed that the disruption was due to an internal fight between the cockpit crew, with one pilot reportedly losing consciousness. The airline stated there was no security threat.

Following the incident, the Prime Minister's office assured that the situation was under control and that all measures were being taken to ensure the safe return of Israeli passengers. Flydubai's CEO informed Israeli transportation officials that a replacement aircraft would be sent from Dubai to Saudi Arabia and then to Israel to bring the stranded passengers home. Reports suggest the pilots involved were of Russian and Ukrainian origin.

The timeline of events began around 9:00 AM with the hijacking signal, followed by the radar disappearance at 9:30 AM. By approximately 9:50 AM, the focus shifted to a fight between the pilots as the cause. The aircraft, which was about 40 minutes from landing in Israel, was escorted by Israeli and later Saudi fighter jets during its diversion and landing in Saudi Arabia around 10:00 AM.

Passengers were instructed to remain seated during the ordeal. One passenger's relative expressed anxiety but relief that the plane landed safely, awaiting further updates on the situation and the passengers' return.