Israel-bound flight diverted to Saudi Arabia after brawl between pilots

An Israel-bound FlyDubai passenger plane was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a fight broke out between its two pilots, according to Israeli media cited by France 24.

The plane transmitted an emergency signal shortly after takeoff, briefly raising fears that it may have been hijacked. The signal prompted heightened alert among relevant authorities before it became clear the incident stemmed from an altercation between the flight's own pilots rather than an external threat.

All passengers onboard the aircraft are reported safe, with no injuries linked to the incident. The flight was rerouted to land in Saudi Arabia rather than continuing on to its original destination in Israel.

Further details on the cause of the dispute between the two pilots, or on what actions FlyDubai or aviation authorities may take in response, were not immediately available.

Incidents involving in-flight emergency signals typically trigger rapid precautionary responses from air traffic control and security services, given the potential severity of what such signals can indicate, even when, as in this case, the underlying cause proves unrelated to any security threat.