It is reported that the issuance of two emergency alert signals from a Flydubai commercial flight (FZ1073) en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israel, was caused by a confrontation between the two pilots that resulted in the captain sustaining fatal injuries. These injuries were inflicted when the co-pilot attacked him with a sharp object.
As one of the issued alerts corresponds to a hijacking scenario, international media reports state that it is not yet possible to confirm whether one of the pilots attempted to hijack the aircraft.
Israeli authorities have clarified that reports published by some media outlets—claiming the captain was Russian and the co-pilot Ukrainian—are incorrect; in reality, the captain was a resident of the United Arab Emirates, and the co-pilot was an Omani national. Authorities further stated that an Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to seize control of the aircraft.
Consequently, they noted that the possibility of this being a terrorist attack cannot yet be ruled out.
According to FlightRadar data, the incident occurred approximately two and a half hours after takeoff.
The aircraft was subsequently landed safely at the civil and military airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.