Tel Aviv, September 30 (Daily Kiran) : An Israeli flight carrying over 150 passengers made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday while en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Initial reports had raised concerns that the aircraft might have been hijacked.
According to Israeli security sources cited by The Times of Israel, a dispute among the pilots prompted the issuance of an emergency signal, indicating “unauthorized interference.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, convened a meeting with senior officials to review the incident.
Among those present were Major General Omri Tishler, head of the Israeli Air Force, Major General Itzik Cohen, head of the Operations Directorate, and Major General Shlomi Binder, head of the Intelligence Directorate. Shortly after takeoff from Dubai, the flight signaled an emergency, using the transponder code 7700, which signifies a general emergency situation.
Flight tracking websites temporarily displayed the code 7500, typically associated with hijacking incidents, although this usage has not been confirmed. Initially, the Flydubai flight transmitted the 7700 “squawk code,” indicating an international emergency.
After a brief period, it reportedly sent the 7500 code, suggesting a hijacking or unauthorized interference. In response, the Israeli Air Force quickly dispatched fighter jets to intercept the aircraft. Additionally, Israeli airspace was temporarily closed but was reopened after the plane safely landed in Saudi Arabia.
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