A distress signal transmitted by a flydubai aircraft carrying 180 passengers on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning set off an alarm among Israeli authorities. The flydubai flight, which had sent out a distress signal, landed a short while ago at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
According to Army Radio, the aircraft activated an emergency code associated with hijacking attempts and sent out a distress signal.
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The Times of Israel reports that the flight initially transmitted the code “squawk 7700,” an international emergency code, and shortly thereafter, transmitted the code 7500, which indicates hijacking or unlawful interference.
SEE ALSO: Plane bound for Tel Aviv sent out an emergency signal; fears of a hijacking
#FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv squawking 7700 en route to Tel Aviv.https://t.co/BI5p7bTPrw pic.twitter.com/7fUP8XwwP3
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) September 30, 2026
The incident that led the aircraft to transmit a “unauthorized interference” signal as well as a general emergency signal (7700), was, according to Israeli security sources, due to an altercation that took place inside the aircraft.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets took off and headed toward the aircraft.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security meeting with Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior military officials, according to the Jerusalem Post.
It should be noted that its last known position was at an altitude of 5,000 feet near Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, while it was approximately 1.5 hours away from its scheduled arrival in Israel.
According to Ynet, the report of the hijacking of the aircraft flying from Dubai to Israel was apparently triggered by a quarrel that broke out on the plane, with N12 reporting that the quarrel was between the pilots, who activated the hijacking code.
Source: Proto Thema/Skai.gr
