A Flydubai Boeing 737 passenger jet operating a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight squawked an emergency code while turning over Saudi Arabian territory and made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport. According to NUR.KZ, citing RIA Novosti, the captain and the first officer were injured and hospitalized for medical treatment, the website infohub.kz reports.
RIA Novosti cited a translated Al-Arabiya report on the pilots' condition: "The captain of the Flydubai airliner and his assistant (first officer — ed.) were injured... they were hospitalized to receive medical assistance."
It was earlier reported that the aircraft transmitted code 7500, which signals a hijacking or unlawful interference. Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled toward the plane, after which it emerged that the airliner had landed in Saudi Arabia.
Flydubai told Israeli television that a fight broke out between the pilots on board the Dubai–Tel Aviv flight. The first photos and videos from the plane soon appeared: one image shows a passenger who is believed to have struggled with the attacker.
Authorities are investigating the possibility that one of the pilots may have deliberately tried to crash the plane. It is believed that the first officer and Israeli passengers intervened, grappling with him and preventing a disaster.
Another version regarding the citizenship of the Flydubai pilots was also reported. After claims of Russian and Ukrainian citizenship, information emerged that the pilots hold Omani and United Arab Emirates citizenship.
Later, reports emerged that one of the pilots may have died from stab wounds following the attack. We previously reported that the emergency on the Dubai–Tel Aviv flight was described as an attempt to kill 180 Israelis.