Flight to Tel Aviv broadcasts emergency alert, diverts to Saudi Arabia after reported feud between pilots

September 30, 2026 / 3:59 AM EDT / CBS/AP

A commercial plane traveling from Dubai 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 its jets.

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.

The FlyDubai plane transmitted an emergency alert shortly after takeoff, according to publicly available flight tracking information.

A regional official briefed on the incident said a fight broke out in the cockpit and apparently involved pilots. It wasn't immediately clear what had caused the fight, the official said.

A second official confirmed that Israel had scrambled warplanes, fearing a hijacking of a plane carrying dozens of its citizens. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned in recent days of unspecified, escalated security threats.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the incident was still under investigation.

Netanyahu's office later said the situation was under control and Israel was working to bring the passengers home.

Emergency landings for personnel reasons are…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/