Why Did an Israel-Bound Flydubai Flight Divert to Saudi Arabia?

In a Nutshell

• Flydubai Flight FZ1073 departed Dubai on 30 September for Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.
• The Boeing 737 MAX 8 experienced an unspecified incident while en route, Flydubai confirmed.
• The aircraft first transmitted the 7700 transponder code, signalling a general emergency.
• It then briefly transmitted code 7500, used to indicate possible unlawful interference with an aircraft.
• Flight-tracking data showed that the jet subsequently diverted away from its Tel Aviv route toward northwestern Saudi Arabia.
• An Israeli official told Reuters that the emergency signals followed a physical altercation between the two pilots.
• The co-pilot of the flight tried to crash the plane after stabbing the pilot, but ​passengers subdued him while other pilots landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia, Israeli officials said.
• The signals initially raised fears of a hijacking and triggered a major security response, including Israel scrambling fighter jets.
• Saudi Arabia also deployed a fighter jet as the aircraft approached its airspace, according to Israeli reporting.
• FZ1073 landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, ending the immediate aviation emergency.
• Flydubai said all passengers were safe and accounted for, while Israeli authorities said efforts were underway to return Israeli passengers safely to Israel.
• Describing the event as "a highly severe security incident", Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saudi authorities ‌would interrogate the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 from the United Arab Emirates to Israel, which had more than 170 Israelis on board.
• The pilots’ nationalities remain unclear, with conflicting reports from different media outlets.