Flydubai flight to Israel makes emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after cockpit fight

What happened

A flydubai plane travelling from Dubai to Israel has made an emergency landing at Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia after a fight in the cockpit. Tabuk airport says both pilots were taken to hospital with injuries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says one pilot stabbed the other and apparently intended to crash the plane. He says a passenger and a crew member got into the cockpit and together subdued the attacker. He describes it as an extremely severe security incident and has thanked those who helped, saying they showed courage and prevented a major disaster. Defence Minister Israel Katz and other officials have called it an attempted terrorist attack.

An Israeli official says a fight broke out between the two pilots and one was armed with a knife. A regional official briefed on the incident also says a fight broke out in the cockpit and apparently involved the pilots, and that it is not yet clear what caused it. That official says the crew have been questioned but did not say whether anyone has been detained. Netanyahu says Saudi Arabia has arrested the pilot involved.

Flight-tracking data shows the plane sent an emergency alert about two and a half hours after leaving Dubai and descended steeply while near the Jordanian border. Israel scrambled fighter jets because it feared a hijacking. Passengers described screaming and the plane shaking before it landed. Tabuk airport says a distress call was made at 8.44am local time and the plane landed at 9.45am.

Flydubai has confirmed that flight FZ1073, heading for Ben Gurion Airport, experienced an incident and landed in Tabuk. The airline says its teams are working closely with the relevant authorities. Netanyahu's office says the situation is under control and Israel is working to bring the passengers home.

Key facts

• Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport landed at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, at 9.45am local time.
• Both pilots were taken to hospital, according to Tabuk airport.
• Israeli officials say the plane carried between 160 and 180 passengers.
• Netanyahu says a pilot stabbed the other and apparently tried to crash the plane, and that a passenger and crew member subdued him.
• Israel scrambled fighter jets over fears of a hijacking.
• A second flydubai flight, FZ1081, landed safely in Tel Aviv.

What you need to know

• Passengers are receiving medical attention from local authorities, according to a regional official.
• Netanyahu's office says Israel is working to bring the passengers home.
• Two security sources say Saudi Arabia turned down an Israeli request to let Israeli military planes collect the passengers. Saudi Arabia has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
• Flydubai says its teams are working with the relevant authorities.

What happens next

An investigation is under way and Israel is working to bring its citizens home from Saudi Arabia. Authorities have not yet said what caused the fight.

Still to be confirmed

• What caused the fight between the pilots, and whether it was a planned attack or a personal dispute.
• Whether anyone is formally detained. Netanyahu says the pilot was arrested, but a regional official did not say whether anyone had been held.
• How the passengers will get home, after the reported Saudi refusal of Israeli military flights.
• The exact size and timing of the plane's descent, as accounts differ.