An official source at the Saudi Ministry of Interior said on Thursday that Saudi authorities managed an inflight emergency declared aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, authorizing an emergency landing at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk on September 30. The aircraft landed safely at 9:45 a.m. with 174 passengers and an eight-member flight crew on board, all of whom received necessary logistical and medical care. At 5:40 p.m., all passengers continued their journey on a replacement Flydubai aircraft, and the flight crew returned to Dubai on a separate flight operated by the airline. The captain and co-pilot were transferred to a local hospital for medical evaluation and treatment. Preliminary investigations conducted by Saudi authorities, in coordination with a security team from the United Arab Emirates, revealed that an altercation took place in which the co-pilot assaulted the captain, resulting in injuries to both individuals. The source confirmed that following medical clearance, both pilots departed Saudi Arabia for Abu Dhabi on October 1, accompanied by the UAE security team. The source stressed that Saudi Arabia handles all emergency situations in full adherence to its international and humanitarian obligations, upholding civil aviation safety standards and demonstrating the operational readiness of the Kingdom's aviation and security sectors to respond rapidly and effectively to exceptional circumstances.
