Flight from Dubai to Israel diverted to Saudi after distress call

A Dubai-Tel Aviv commercial flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia after an emergency signal briefly raised fears of a hijacking, prompting Israel to scramble warplanes. Israeli media reported the alert followed a dispute between the pilots, with all passengers and crew safe

Tel Aviv: A commercial plane traveling from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Israel was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, briefly raising concerns about a possible hijacking and prompting Israel to scramble warplanes.

Israeli media, citing security officials, said the incident stemmed from a feud between the plane’s two pilots, and everyone on board was safe. The plane landed in Tabuk, a civilian and military base in the kingdom.

---