Flydubai suspends Israel flights after incident aboard Tel Aviv-bound plane
Flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel following an altercation in the cockpit of flight FZ1073, which was diverted and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The flight was operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport on September 30 when the incident occurred. According to Flydubai, on-duty crew members traveling on the flight secured the aircraft before diverting it to Tabuk Airport.
All passengers and crew members are safe and accounted for. The airline has deployed two replacement aircraft to Tabuk for the passengers and crew.
Flydubai said the underlying reasons and motives behind the incident remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation. The airline urged against premature speculation while authorities establish the facts.
The temporary suspension of flights to and from Israel will remain in place while the investigation continues, Flydubai said. The airline said it will review the suspension as more information becomes available and provide affected passengers with support and alternative arrangements where possible.
The incident has no impact on other scheduled operations across the flydubai network.
Earlier, it was reported that an altercation on board a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight early Wednesday morning apparently prompted the aircraft to issue an “unlawful interference” signal and a general “emergency signal.”