Israel Weighs Plane to Bring Home Flydubai Passengers After 17,400-Foot Dive to Saudi Arabia
Updated
Updated · CNN · Sep 30
Israel Weighs Plane to Bring Home Flydubai Passengers After 17,400-Foot Dive to Saudi Arabia
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Sep 30
Summary
Israel is exploring sending a military or civilian aircraft to Saudi Arabia to bring home passengers after Flydubai flight FZ1073 diverted to Tabuk and landed safely.
A violent incident between the two pilots triggered the diversion, according to sources, and flight-tracking data showed the jet dropped 17,400 feet in just over two minutes before sending an emergency signal at 1:32 a.m. ET.
Israeli fighter jets were scrambled after that signal, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz held security consultations; an Israeli official said the episode was not a hijacking and was under control.
The landing created a rare mass arrival of Israelis in Saudi Arabia, which still has no diplomatic relations with Israel despite opening its airspace to Israel-bound flights in 2022.