Saudi Arabia has rejected Israel's request to allow Israeli military jets to pick up passengers from a Flydubai flight that made an emergency landing in the kingdom, two security sources told Reuters. Saudi authorities have not commented on the incident.
The Israeli Air Force has been preparing Super Hercules jets to transport Israeli citizens back to the country. However, Saudi Arabia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and has not authorized the operation. Instead, Flydubai said the passengers would continue their journey on the airline's plane.
The incident occurred on flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The plane was diverted to Tabuk after a serious incident occurred on board in the cockpit. Flydubai confirmed that there was a conflict in the cockpit and that the crew managed to ensure a safe landing of the plane. All passengers and crew members are alive and are reported to be safe.
According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the co-pilot stabbed the captain and tried to crash the plane. He said passengers restrained him and other pilots on board helped him land safely in Saudi Arabia. These details are part of the Israeli version of what happened while the investigation is ongoing.
The plane sent out distress signals and underwent a sharp descent, which initially raised concerns of a possible hijacking. Israel scrambled military aircraft to deal with the situation, but the passengers were deemed safe after landing in Tabuk.
Saudi authorities detained the suspect after landing. The cause of the cockpit altercation and the exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.