A Saudi statement reveals details about the Flydubai plane accident and preliminary investigations

On Thursday evening, the Saudi Ministry of Interior issued a statement in which it clarified details about the accident of Flydubai plane No. (FZ1073), and confirmed that it had granted it permission to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, and revealed what happened later when the plane’s passengers completed their flight, and then the plane’s pilot and co-pilot were transferred to Abu Dhabi. The Saudi Ministry of Interior said in its statement: “An official source at the Ministry of Interior explained that the competent authorities in the Kingdom have initiated the necessary procedures to deal with the emergency situation that was declared on Flydubai flight No. (FZ1073), and granted it permission to make an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in the city of Tabuk, on Wednesday, 19 Rabi’ al-Akhir 1448 AH, corresponding to September 30, 2026 AD, as it landed. The plane was safely transported at 9:45 a.m. with 174 passengers on board, in addition to the flight crew of 8 individuals, all of whom were provided with the necessary care,” according to what was reported by the Saudi “SPA” news agency.

The Saudi Ministry of Interior added: “At exactly 5:40 p.m., all passengers completed their flight on an alternative plane via Fly Dubai, while the flight crew returned to Dubai via another plane of the same airline, except for the pilot and his assistant, who were taken to the hospital to receive the necessary treatment, based on an assessment of their health condition,” according to SPA. The source stated that "preliminary investigations conducted by the competent authorities in the Kingdom with the participation of a security team from the sisterly United Arab Emirates indicated that there was an assault on the pilot of the plane by his co-pilot, which resulted in both of them sustaining separate injuries."

The source confirmed that "the pilot and his co-pilot - after their health condition improved and the medical team allowed them - left the Kingdom heading to Abu Dhabi on Thursday morning, accompanied by the Emirati security team." The responsible source also confirmed that "the Kingdom deals with emergency situations in accordance with its international and humanitarian obligations, and in accordance with the regulations and instructions approved by the relevant authorities, to ensure the safety and security of air navigation and the readiness of the aviation and security systems in the Kingdom and its ability to respond quickly and effectively to exceptional cases," according to SPA.