Flydubai Flight Diverted After Brawl Between Pilots, Passengers Safe

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying over 150 Israeli passengers, made an unexpected diversion and returned to Dubai on Wednesday morning. The flight, FZ1081, initially broadcast a distress code indicating a hijacking, prompting the scramble of Israeli Air Force fighter jets. The aircraft was observed over Jordan and later Saudi Arabia before returning to its origin. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz held urgent security consultations, with the IDF Chief of Staff, Shin Bet chief, and Mossad chief also conferring.

After hours of uncertainty, the cause of the diversion was revealed to be a violent altercation between the two pilots. Passenger accounts described screams and a bloody fight in the cockpit, with one passenger reporting that a pilot was stabbed with a knife. Doctors and nurses on board provided initial medical aid to the injured pilot. Passengers and crew reportedly subdued the assailant, and the plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Flydubai confirmed the incident and stated it would send another plane to Saudi Arabia to transport the passengers to Israel. Israeli security agencies and the Airport Authority are investigating how an Omani national pilot was cleared to fly to Israel, questioning the thoroughness of security screenings for foreign aircrew. Following an assessment by the Israel Police and the Shin Bet, all passengers and crew will be interrogated upon their arrival in Israel to clarify the circumstances of the flight. The Israel Airport Authority clarified that Israeli airspace remains open and air traffic is operating normally.