Fight between pilots in cockpit forces flydubai's Dubai–Tel Aviv flight to land in Saudi Arabia

A flydubai passenger flight bound for Tel Aviv, Israel from Dubai was diverted to land in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a fight broke out between the two pilots in the cockpit.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft operating flight FZ1073 had taken off from Dubai at about 7:05 am and was scheduled to arrive at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv by around 9:30 am. According to news agencies, about 174 passengers, including 27 children, were on board.

About 90 minutes after takeoff, as the plane reached the skies over Jordan, it transmitted a general emergency signal, 7700, followed by squawk 7500, which indicates hijacking or unlawful interference. According to BBC Hindi, the aircraft dropped from 34,000 feet to about 16,600 feet in roughly two minutes.

According to Israel's Channel 12, contact with the aircraft was lost for a period. After the signal was received, the Israeli air force scrambled fighter jets. Officials later clarified that the incident was not a hijacking but was linked to a dispute between the pilots.

Flydubai confirmed the aircraft had to be diverted because of the altercation and said all passengers and crew were safe. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said such a clash in the cockpit was unusual and expressed relief that a major disaster had been averted.