Flydubai Flight Diverted to Saudi Arabia Amid Security Incident, Replacement Flight Also Returns

A Flydubai flight en route from the UAE to Tel Aviv experienced an unusual security incident on Wednesday, raising concerns of a potential hijacking among Israeli security officials. The aircraft, flight FZ1081, landed safely in Saudi Arabia after nearly an hour of uncertainty, and its crew was taken for questioning. The airline dispatched a replacement aircraft to pick up the stranded passengers and bring them to Israel.

However, reports indicate that this second flight was also forced to divert and return to Dubai for reasons that remain unknown. Initially, the incident was thought to be a dispute between the pilots, but Israeli security sources now suggest it was a security event. These sources report that the co-pilot, who is from Oman, allegedly attempted to seize control of the plane with the intent of crashing it along with its passengers.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi are receiving updates on the Israeli passengers stuck in Saudi Arabia. Israel is considering sending its own Hercules and Shimshon aircraft to Saudi Arabia to assist, but Saudi Arabia has not yet approved the landing of Israeli military planes, and discussions are ongoing.

Following an assessment involving the police and relevant organizations, it was decided that the Shin Bet security agency will interrogate the Israeli passengers from the Flydubai flight upon their arrival in Israel.