A plane traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv had to be diverted to Saudi Arabia after a “violent incident” broke out involving the two pilots. Details surrounding the incident are still unclear, but an Israeli official told CNN that it was not a hijacking, but a personal dispute between crew members aboard the FlyDubai flight. Flight tracking data shows flight FZ 1073 dropping to around 16,600 feet from 34,000 feet while flying over Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, but it is unclear whether this relates to the apparent “violent” incident. The aircraft then transmitted an emergency signal—typically used to report a hijacking—at 1:32 a.m. ET, and landed at Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Airport just before 3 a.m. ET. The incident resulted in Israeli fighter jets being scrambled to the plane. A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the situation was under control and “all measures are now being taken to safely return the Israeli passengers to Israel.” The plane, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was originally traveling toward Ben Gurion Airport. The plane was reported to have been carrying 174 passengers, including about 27 children.
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