Flight to Israel makes emergency landing in Saudi Arabia

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning with security officials over the incident.

TEL AVIV—A FlyDubai flight traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Israel made an emergency landing Wednesday in Saudi Arabia after the aircraft made an extreme descent and rise in flight, preliminary flight-tracking data showed.

Flight to Israel makes emergency landing in Saudi Arabia (Unsplash/ Representative photo)

FlyDubai, the sister airline to the long-haul carrier Emirates, didn’t explain what happened in the flight for the Boeing 737 aircraft, only saying that it “experienced an incident while en route.” The plane landed in Tabuk in western Saudi Arabia and “all passengers are safe

Deep Dive

What caused the emergency landing of the FlyDubai flight in Saudi Arabia?

The emergency landing was caused by an altercation between the pilots in the cockpit, which led to the aircraft experiencing drastic altitude changes and transmitting emergency signals.

What does the squawk 7500 code signify in aviation?

Squawk 7500 indicates 'unlawful interference' and is commonly associated with hijacking scenarios, alerting air traffic control to potential threats on an aircraft.

How did passengers react during the FlyDubai flight incident?

Passengers reported hearing screams during the incident and witnessed chaos as the aircraft made a rapid descent, with some stating that a pilot was stabbed during the altercation, which contributed to the emergency situation.

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“The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel,” the prime minister’s office said.

Flightradar24, a flight-tracking website, said preliminary data showed the aircraft had “extreme fluctuations” in its reported altitude in flight, dropping drastically and rising again quickly at speeds far beyond those seen during normal trips.

FlyDubai has been one of the few international carriers to continue to fly in Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on the country and subsequent war in Gaza.

—Updates to follow as news develops.

Write to Anat Peled at anat.peled@wsj.com and Jon Gambrell at jon.gambrell@wsj.com