KABUL (Pajhwok): A Flydubai commercial aircraft travelling from Dubai to Israel made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after issuing a distress alert, raising concerns about a possible hijacking and prompting Israel to scramble fighter jets.
The Associated Press reported that the aircraft was travelling from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Israel when its pilots were forced to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Tabuk has both civilian and military air bases.
Public flight-tracking data showed that the Flydubai aircraft issued a distress alert shortly after take-off.
The report said Israeli media, citing security officials, said the incident was caused by a dispute between the aircraft’s two pilots and that all passengers were safe.
A regional official briefed on the incident told the Associated Press that a dispute had occurred in the aircraft’s cockpit and apparently involved the pilots, but it was not immediately clear what had caused the dispute.
Another official confirmed that Israel had scrambled fighter jets over fears of a possible hijacking, as dozens of Israeli nationals were aboard the aircraft.
The report added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned in recent days of unclear but growing security threats. The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident was still under investigation.
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