Israel-bound flight makes emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after 'pilot altercation'
Emergency signal initially triggers Israeli security response before officials rule out hijacking
A Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 performs a display flight at Al-Maktoum International Airport during the Dubai Airshow on 17 November 2025 (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP)
Published date: 30 September 2026 08:20 BST
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Last update: 21 min 47 sec ago
An Israel-bound flight made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after sending a hijacking alert.
Israeli officials later ruled out a hijacking, saying the signal was sent after an altercation between the pilots.
The Flydubai flight was travelling from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport, carrying 180 Israeli passengers.
It landed in Tabuk, in north-western Saudi Arabia.
The initial distress call prompted Israeli leaders to hold emergency security meetings and dispatch fighter jets to respond to the possible hijacking.
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Details of the pilots’ altercation were not immediately clear.
Israeli officials said they would be able to establish a clearer picture of the incident once the flight landed in Saudi Arabia.
More to follow
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