Ben Gurion Airport Prepares Special Area for Flydubai Passengers' Families

Following instructions from Transportation Minister Miri Regev, the Israel Airports Authority has opened a dedicated waiting and information area in Terminal 1 at Ben Gurion Airport for the families of passengers on a Flydubai flight. The complex, located in the arrivals hall for domestic flights, aims to centralize information and provide continuous updates and support.

Airport Authority representatives are present to assist families. The Authority has requested that the public refrain from coming to the area to ensure sensitive and comfortable handling of the passengers' relatives. The measure follows a security incident earlier that morning when a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying 174 passengers including 27 children, transmitted distress signals indicating a hijacking. The aircraft turned back over Jordan and diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

After the flight transmitted international emergency codes (7700 and 7500 for hijacking) and lost contact with the cockpit, Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled. Top security officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, the IDF, Shin Bet, Mossad, and the National Security Council, convened for urgent consultations. After a period of intense uncertainty, it was determined that the incident stemmed from a violent physical altercation between flight crew members in the cockpit, which inadvertently triggered the emergency buttons, causing the diversion and the situation.

Israel classified the event as a severe security incident, suspecting a deliberate attempt to harm the aircraft. This led to the activation of a classified Air Force and intelligence community emergency protocol. According to Channel 12 News, this protocol outlines a process starting with threat identification and fighter jet deployment for visual contact, followed by airspace closure and crisis management team activation. In extreme cases, it can escalate to a political decision by the Prime Minister to neutralize the threat before it reaches populated areas in Israel.