Cairo.- The pilot and co-pilot of a Flydubai airline plane, which was covering the route between Dubai and Tel Aviv, were injured during an incident on board that forced the aircraft to divert to Tabuk airport, in Saudi Arabia.
Official sources reported that both injured individuals were taken to a hospital after the plane made an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport. So far, authorities have not provided details regarding the severity of the injuries.
You may be interested in: U.S. plane removes 45 tons of cocaine from Costa Rica for destruction
The Tabuk airport indicated in a statement that the air traffic control center received a distress call from flight FZ1073 at 08:44 local time, requesting authorization to make an emergency landing. The aircraft finally landed at 09:45.
According to the statement, the two injured pilots received medical attention after reaching land, while the authorities activated the corresponding protocols to assist the passengers and ensure their safety.
More Read
Sources from the Israeli Ministry of Transport confirmed that the flight was diverted due to a “dispute between the crew.” The Israeli press, citing passenger accounts, reported that one of the pilots had allegedly been stabbed by another person during the flight.
The exact circumstances of the incident have not yet been clarified. Saudi authorities indicated that they are conducting the corresponding investigations to determine what happened inside the aircraft.
A video broadcast by Israeli Channel 12 shows several passengers with bloodstains near the cockpit and next to the two pilots. In the footage, some passengers claim to have intervened to restrain the alleged attacker.
More Read
Testimonies broadcast in Israeli media indicate that the passengers helped one of the injured and subdued the alleged attacker before the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia.
Injured
The images also show the two pilots on the ground wearing oxygen masks. One of the injured is reportedly the pilot who, according to the versions released, was attacked during the flight.
The trajectory recorded by the Flightradar24 platform shows that the plane suddenly changed its route before reaching the border with Jordan. The aircraft made a turn to the north and subsequently reduced its altitude.
The plane maintained an irregular trajectory for several minutes before changing direction again and heading south, towards Tabuk. The diversion allowed the crew to perform the requested emergency landing.
After landing, the injured were evacuated to receive medical assistance, while the rest of the passengers remained at the airport. Saudi authorities indicated that they coordinated with Flydubai for the care of the travelers and the availability of an alternative aircraft.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported that the incident was “under control” and that necessary measures were being taken to ensure the safe return of the Israeli passengers.
More Read
Flydubai, for its part, described what happened as an “incident” and avoided offering details about the cause. The airline confirmed that the plane landed safely in Tabuk and assured that all passengers are safe.
As investigations progress, authorities are keeping the situation of the injured under evaluation and are seeking to establish what caused the confrontation inside the aircraft.
The identity and medical conditions of the injured have not been officially detailed, while the competent authorities continue to gather information about what happened during the flight.
In addition, the authorities are maintaining coordination with the airline and security agencies to clarify the circumstances of the incident, while the passengers remain under care at Tabuk airport awaiting to continue their journey to Israel.
