Plane Headed to Israel Lands in Saudi Arabia After Fight Between Pilots

A Flydubai plane flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, after sending emergency signals that briefly raised fears of a hijacking.

The plane had left Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates early Wednesday morning. It was headed to Ben-Gurion Airport. About two hours into the trip, it sent a general emergency call, according to Flightradar24, then minutes later sent the special signal used for a hijacking, also according to Flightradar24 BBC. It turned over Saudi Arabia and landed in Tabuk instead. The hijacking signal was later changed back to general emergency, according to Flightradar24.

These signals are like preset alarm buttons pilots can set to tell air traffic control what kind of help they need. Everyone on board was reported safe New York Post. Early reports gave different numbers. The BBC reported around 150 people, most of them Israeli, while Ynet reported 174 passengers Indian Express.

Local media citing Israeli defence officials reported the signal was thought to have come after a fight between the pilot and co-pilot BBC. It was a physical fight. Sources called it a "violent incident" CNN.

Israel sent fighter jets. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent consultations. His office said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking. Everyone was reported safe. The plane stayed on the ground in Tabuk.

Looking at what this means for air safety, the order of the signals explains the large response. A general alarm followed by a hijack alarm gives air defences and leaders no time to wait. Jets go up and top officials meet, even if the problem later turns out to be inside the cockpit.

In my view, investigators will now focus on a few plain questions. What happened between the two pilots, and how did it affect control of the plane while the signals were changing. Why Tabuk was chosen, and how the crew, passengers, plane and security were handled on the ground. For diplomats, an Israel-bound flight with mostly Israeli passengers landing without warning in Saudi airspace is a sensitive task by definition, whatever the cause.

The broader context here is care with emergency signals. They warn everyone at once. When they go off during an internal fight rather than an outside threat, they still set off the full outside response. That gap is what turned a Dubai to Tel Aviv flight into a regional incident.