Israel-bound flight diverted after combat between pilots

A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was unexpectedly diverted to Saudi Arabia after a combat between the pilots, Israeli officers instructed native media.

The Flydubai airplane – which took off from Dubai International Airport within the United Arab Emirates early on Wednesday morning – signalled an emergency code two hours into the journey, flight monitoring web site Flightradar24 mentioned.

Minutes later it switched to a code used to report a hijacking, however was later turned again to the overall emergency sign, it added.

The Israeli prime minister’s workplace mentioned the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking.

Passengers instructed native media they feared or their lives because the airplane began to drop in the course of the incident.

The emergency sign is regarded as issued following an altercation between the pilot and co-pilot, native media reported citing Israeli defence officers.

Flight FZ1073 – carrying round 150 folks, most of whom are Israeli – was as a result of land at Ben-Gurion Airport however as a substitute landed at Tabuk Airport in northeastern Saudi Arabia.