Saudi Arabia rejected an Israeli request to send military aircraft to retrieve Israeli passengers after a Flydubai flight made an emergency landing in Tabuk following a cockpit incident.
WEBDESK – MEDIABITES – REUTERS
Saudi Arabia turned down an Israeli request to allow Israeli military aircraft to pick up passengers from a Flydubai flight that made an emergency landing in the kingdom on Wednesday, according to two security sources cited by Reuters.
The request was made after Flydubai flight FZ1073, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia following a serious incident involving the aircraft’s pilots.
The Israeli Air Force had reportedly prepared C-130 Hercules aircraft to transport Israeli passengers back home, but Saudi Arabia declined permission for the military planes to enter the kingdom for that purpose, the sources told Reuters.
Saudi Arabia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, a factor relevant to the request and the subsequent arrangements for returning the passengers.
Flydubai flight lands safely
The Boeing 737 flight was carrying more than 150 passengers when it transmitted emergency signals and diverted from its planned route to Tel Aviv.
Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an incident while en route and landed safely at Tabuk Airport. The airline said all passengers were safe and accounted for.
Saudi authorities said the aircraft landed safely after requesting an emergency landing. Both the captain and co-pilot were injured and taken to hospital, according to the Tabuk airport administration. Authorities said an investigation was underway.
The passengers subsequently continued their journey on a replacement Flydubai aircraft. Saudi Gazette reported that the replacement plane departed Tabuk at 5:40 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
Pilot incident triggered emergency response
The emergency landing followed reports of a violent confrontation between the pilots.
Reuters reported that Israeli officials said the co-pilot stabbed the captain and then attempted to crash the aircraft, before passengers intervened and restrained him. The aircraft was subsequently brought under control and diverted to Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said the co-pilot had attempted to crash the plane after attacking the pilot. However, details surrounding the incident remain subject to investigation, and Flydubai has said the motives behind the attack are still unknown.
The aircraft reportedly transmitted an emergency code associated with unlawful interference, initially raising fears of a hijacking. Israeli fighter jets were scrambled during the incident, although Israeli officials later said the episode was not a conventional hijacking.
Saudi-Israel tensions add another dimension
The passenger evacuation request comes against the backdrop of continued diplomatic distance between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Reuters reported that US President Donald Trump has been encouraging Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, the agreements under which several Arab countries established diplomatic relations with Israel.
Saudi Arabia has maintained that normalization with Israel requires progress toward Palestinian statehood.
The Saudi government’s media office did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the decision to reject the Israeli request.
The immediate focus, however, remained on safely moving the passengers out of Tabuk. By Wednesday evening, all passengers had departed Saudi Arabia aboard the replacement aircraft, according to the airport administration.
The circumstances surrounding the cockpit incident, including the motive and sequence of events, remain under investigation by the relevant authorities.
Why it matters
The incident placed Saudi Arabia in an unusual position: an aircraft carrying Israeli passengers made an emergency landing on Saudi territory, while Israel sought permission to use military aircraft to retrieve its citizens. The passengers ultimately continued their journey on a Flydubai replacement aircraft rather than Israeli military planes.
