The first official statement: “Flydubai” reveals the reason for diverting the Tel Aviv flight to Tabuk

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Flydubai announced that an altercation took place in the cockpit of flight FZ 1073, which was heading from Dubai Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport, today, September 30.

The company said that the flight crew succeeded in securing the flight, by changing its course and landing it safely at Tabuk Airport.

Flydubai confirmed that all passengers and crew members were fine, and their safety was confirmed after the plane landed.

The company explained that "it is too early to know the reasons and motives behind this incident," noting that the circumstances of the incident are not yet known and are subject to an official investigation.

Flydubai stressed that the ongoing investigation will work to determine the causes and motives of the incident, pending the completion of the relevant official procedures.

Passengers on the Emirati Flydubai flight that landed in Saudi Arabia after heading to Israel on Wednesday left on a new flight to Tel Aviv, according to what a passenger told Agence France-Presse.

A passenger told AFP via text message that the new flight had already taken off, heading to Tel Aviv.

Tabuk Airport had announced earlier today, Wednesday, that it had received a distress call from a Flydubai flight at 8:44 am, with the aim of carrying out an emergency landing at the airport, which required activating emergency and preparedness procedures to deal with the situation and ensure the safety of passengers and crew members.

The airport explained that the emergency landing operation was completed successfully, noting that the pilot and his co-pilot were injured during the flight, and they were taken to the hospital to receive the necessary medical care. The airport has not yet provided additional details regarding the nature of the injuries or the reasons that led to the emergency landing request.

Tabuk Airport confirmed that it coordinated with Flydubai to secure an alternative plane to complete the transportation of passengers to their destination, while efforts continue to monitor the conditions of passengers and provide them with the necessary services.

The airport added that work is currently underway to complete the necessary investigations and technical procedures to determine the circumstances of the incident and determine its causes, in coordination with the competent authorities, stressing that dealing with the distress call was in accordance with the approved operational plans and safety procedures followed in such cases.