Flydubai flight drama: Rescue flight carrying passengers lands in Israel

A flydubai rescue flight carrying around 174 passengers landed at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport after their Tel Aviv-bound flight made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia following an altercation between the pilots.After the landing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also met the passengers.Meanwhile, news agency Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia rejected an Israeli request to allow an Israeli aircraft to bring back the passengers stranded in Tabuk.According to sources cited by Reuters, Israel’s air force was preparing to send Super Hercules aircraft to Saudi Arabia to pick up the passengers. However, Riyadh turned down the request. Saudi Arabia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.The incident occurred after a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Tabuk on Wednesday following an altercation between the pilots. The incident initially raised fears of a possible hijacking and prompted Israel to scramble fighter jets.The aircraft, carrying around 180 Israeli passengers, landed safely at Tabuk. An investigation into the incident is underway.An Israeli official told the Associated Press that a fight broke out between the pilots and that one of them was armed with a knife. Reuters reported that the co-pilot was believed to have stabbed the captain before cabin crew members entered the cockpit.Another regional official also confirmed that an altercation had taken place in the cockpit, although the cause of the fight was not immediately clear.The aircraft’s captain and first officer were injured and taken to hospital, according to a statement from Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, carried by Saudi state-run Al Ekhbariya television.Netanyahu calls it 'serious security incident'Netanyahu said evidence indicated that the flydubai pilot had stabbed his fellow pilot and claimed that the pilot intended to crash the plane.Referring to the flight, which diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed in Tabuk, Netanyahu said an Israeli passenger he spoke to and a crew member managed to stop the pilot while he was attempting to damage the aircraft’s systems.In a video statement, Netanyahu described the incident as “an extremely serious security incident”, according to The Times of Israel.He said another crew member entered the cockpit and managed to stabilise the aircraft.Netanyahu added that Saudi authorities were interrogating the suspect and said he “salutes the heroes” who saved the passengers’ lives.He also met National Security Adviser Shmuel Ben Ezra and Military Secretary Maj Gen Guy Markizeno.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.