Flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv Diverted Due to Pilot Altercation

A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted on Wednesday morning following a physical altercation between the pilots, according to Israeli officials. The Flydubai plane departed from Dubai International Airport and two hours into the flight, it signalled an emergency code, as reported by flight tracking website Flightradar24. Shortly after, the flight switched to a code typically used to indicate a hijacking, but later reverted to a general emergency signal. Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated that the incident was not believed to be a hijacking. Instead, it was thought that the emergency signal was triggered by a conflict between the pilot and co-pilot, as reported by local media citing Israeli defense officials. The aircraft, which was carrying approximately 150 passengers, most of whom were Israeli, was scheduled to land at Ben-Gurion Airport but instead landed at Tabuk Airport in northeastern Saudi Arabia. In response to the situation, the Israeli air force dispatched fighter jets, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent consultations regarding the incident.