A Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed there on Wednesday morning after the pilots reportedly fought mid-air, triggering an emergency alert and a hijacking scare.
The aircraft was seen squawking 7700, the standard transponder code for a general emergency. Some flight trackers also indicated that it briefly switched to 7500, the code associated with a hijacking, although this has not been independently confirmed.
According to Flightradar24 data, the aircraft — a Boeing 737 MAX 8 — was on approach to Tabuk city in Saudi Arabia.
The incident reportedly began when the two pilots got into a fight, leading them to declare an emergency and divert the flight to Saudi Arabia.
A regional official briefed on the incident said a fight broke out in the cockpit and apparently involved pilots. It wasn’t immediately clear what had caused the fight, the official said according to AP.
About 180 Israeli passengers were reportedly on board the flight, The Jerusalem Post reported.
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{{/usCountry}}Also Read: Was Flydubai flight hijacked? Top Netanyahu official's clarification after diversion
Netanyahu holds security meeting
{{/usCountry}}Three Israeli security officials told Reuters that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding consultations over the flydubai flight from the UAE to Israel that was diverted from its path.
The aircraft had activated an emergency code associated with attempted hijackings and transmitted a distress signal, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing Army Radio.
The Israeli prime minister’s spokesperson, however, said the incident involving the flydubai flight was not a hijacking.
A security official told Walla that the incident was still ongoing and that efforts were underway to determine what was happening inside the aircraft, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The Israel Air Force raised its alert level and scrambled fighter jets in case of a possible emergency, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing Walla.
(This is a developing story)