Plane that sent hijack signal lands in Saudi Arabia

A Flydubai plane from the UAE, which had earlier signaled an emergency on board, has landed in Saudi Arabia.

The aircraft, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 150 passengers on board, briefly transmitted code 7700, which indicates an emergency, and then code 7500, which is used to report a hijacking. This happened while the plane was descending and making a turn.

The Flydubai flight from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia amid fears of a possible hijacking. The airliner was expected to arrive in Israel at 9:30 a.m. local time, but shortly after entering Jordanian airspace, the plane changed course toward Saudi Arabia. More than 100 Israeli citizens are reportedly on board.

In response to the incident, the Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets, but the exact circumstances remain unclear. The plane deviated from its planned route and began circling in Saudi airspace. Ground services lost contact with the airliner, which stopped transmitting signals. According to available information, about 180 Israeli citizens are on board.

The incident occurred during a manual descent, after which the airliner made a 180-degree turn. It later emerged that the pilots had gotten into a fight during the flight. After the fight, the crew pressed the emergency button, and the airliner landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The plane reappeared on the flight-tracking radar. The pilots have also made contact with the Saudi side.