Fight between pilots triggers hijacking code on Dubai-Tel Aviv flight

A fight between the pilots of a passenger plane flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv reportedly triggered a hijacking code before the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, according to Israeli daily Ynet. “An altercation occurred in the flight deck of flight FZ 1073,” said Flydubai, and said crew members traveling aboard the aircraft managed to secure the plane and divert it safely to Saudi Arabia.

The Dubai-based carrier said the flight, which was operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport, landed safely at Tabuk Airport and all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for. Flydubai said the reasons and motives behind the altercation remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation. 

“We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts,” it cautioned. The flight was carrying 174 passengers and briefly transmitted a distress signal. Ynet said the aircraft had been scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport.

The aircraft was operated by Dubai-based carrier Flydubai and was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the incident occurred. According to the report, the code indicating a possible hijacking was activated during the cockpit altercation. The aircraft subsequently landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.

Around 90 minutes after takeoff, while entering Jordanian airspace, the aircraft transmitted code “7700,” the international code for a general emergency, the newspaper said. It subsequently transmitted code “7500,” which is used to indicate unlawful interference with an aircraft, including a possible hijacking.

At around the same time, the plane changed course, returned to Saudi airspace and began flying at a low altitude over the kingdom, according to the report. After initially heading south, the aircraft turned west while remaining inside Saudi airspace before landing in the kingdom.

CAPTAIN, FIRST OFFICER INJURED

Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk said in a statement that its Air Traffic Control Center received a distress call from Flydubai flight FZ1073 at 8.44 am for an emergency landing. It said an emergency was declared at the airport and preparations were made to assist the aircraft, which landed safely.

The airport said both the aircraft captain and first officer were injured and transferred to a hospital for necessary medical care. There are conflicting reports over the nationalities of the two officers. Channel 12 said the crew consisted of a Russian pilot and a Ukrainian co-pilot, while Ynet reported that the pilot suspected of attempting to crash the aircraft is of Omani origin and that the second pilot is Emirati. Israeli Channel 12 later said the incident appeared not to be security-related and that authorities were checking whether the distress signal had been activated accidentally because of an argument between the pilot and co-pilot.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have ordered military rescue planes to be sent to Saudi Arabia to bring home Israeli passengers on the Flydubai flight.

Flydubai later informed Israeli authorities that a replacement aircraft would be dispatched from Dubai to Saudi Arabia to bring back the Israeli passengers who had been on the flight, Ynet reported. Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport said in a follow-up statement that all passengers departed at 5.40 pm local time (1440GMT) aboard an alternative aircraft provided by the airline.

The airport reiterated its commitment to the policies and regulations of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation, as well as international conventions and treaties concerning the safety of civil air navigation, passengers and crew. The Israel Airports Authority, meanwhile, denied reports that the country’s airspace had been closed during the incident.

Senior officials in Israel’s aviation industry said suspicion of a security incident on the Flydubai flight had not yet been ruled out, Ynet reported. According to an initial assessment cited by the officials, one of the pilots allegedly “attempted to cause a crash,” while the other pilot managed to thwart the attempt with the help of Israeli passengers.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said the situation was “under control” and that “all means are now being deployed to safely return the Israeli passengers to Israel.”