A Flydubai passenger aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv triggered a security alert on Wednesday after transmitting emergency signals and abruptly changing course while flying over Saudi Arabia, raising fears of a possible hijacking.
The aircraft, operating as Flydubai flight FZ1073, was en route from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv when it transmitted the international emergency transponder code 7700, according to flight-tracking data cited by Israeli media. The aircraft subsequently transmitted code 7500, a signal used internationally to indicate suspected unlawful interference or a possible hijacking.
The alert came as the aircraft was over or approaching Saudi Arabian airspace. Flight-tracking information showed the plane changing direction and heading towards Saudi Arabia rather than continuing towards Israel. Israeli security sources said the aircraft was expected to land in Saudi Arabia, where authorities would be able to establish what had happened on board.
The emergency signals prompted a rapid security response in Israel. Israeli Air Force fighter jets were reportedly scrambled towards the aircraft after the alert was received. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also held urgent consultations with senior defence and security officials as authorities sought to determine the nature of the incident.
However, there was no immediate confirmation that the aircraft had actually been hijacked. A 7500 transponder signal indicates suspected unlawful interference, but the code itself does not establish that a hijacking has taken place. One report citing a security source said there was no confirmed information of a hijacking and that the pilot had activated a distress signal.
Reports also differed over the aircraft’s immediate destination as the situation developed. The Times of Israel reported that the plane was expected to land at or near Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, while other reports said it had turned back and was being diverted within the region. The aircraft’s exact status and the reason for the emergency remained under investigation at the time of reporting.
The incident comes against a highly sensitive regional security backdrop, making the emergency signal particularly significant. Any unexplained change in course by a commercial aircraft travelling towards Israel can trigger immediate military and aviation-security protocols, particularly when a transponder code associated with unlawful interference is transmitted.
For now, the key point is that the aircraft issued emergency signals and was diverted from its planned route, but authorities had not established that a hijacking had occurred. Investigators are expected to determine whether the alert was caused by a security incident, a technical problem, an operational issue or another emergency.
The incident remains a developing story, and further details are expected after the aircraft lands and passengers and crew are questioned by the relevant authorities.
