A violent altercation between two pilots forced a flight traveling between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to divert on Wednesday. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office denied reports that the aircraft had been hijacked, according to Reuters. Netanyahu stressed that the situation was "under control" and that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safe return of the Israeli passengers. Flydubai said Flight FZ1073 experienced an incident while airborne and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with all passengers unharmed. CNN, citing sources, reported that a violent clash between the pilots led to the transmission of emergency signals. An Israeli official told Reuters that the pilots sent distress codes after becoming involved in a physical confrontation, though it remained unclear whether either pilot intentionally activated the alerts. Israeli media reported that the aircraft, carrying about 150 passengers, briefly transmitted emergency codes, raising concerns that it may have been hijacked and prompting Israel to scramble two fighter jets to escort the plane. According to the Ynet news website, the emergency signal was transmitted while the aircraft was descending under manual control and turning back in the opposite direction. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz held urgent security consultations following the incident. The flight departed Dubai at 7:05 a.m. local time and was scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv at about 9:30 a.m. Roughly 90 minutes into the flight, as the aircraft entered Jordanian airspace, it transmitted Code 7700, the international signal for a general emergency. It later sent Code 7500, used to indicate unlawful interference with an aircraft, including a possible hijacking. Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled to escort the plane while authorities worked to determine the cause of the emergency alerts.
