Flydubai released an official statement Wednesday following the serious security incident on flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport, revealing who managed to take control of the cockpit and bring the plane down safely.
According to the airline’s statement, a “confrontation in the cockpit” occurred during the flight. Flydubai said crew members who were on duty during the flight managed to take control of the aircraft, divert it from its route, and land it safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. “All passengers and crew members are safe and secure,” the airline said.
Flydubai also confirmed it sent two replacement aircraft to Tabuk to assist passengers and crew and fly them out. The airline stressed that the incident has no impact at this stage on Flydubai’s scheduled flight operations across its network.
At the same time, the airline refrained from determining what was behind the incident. “At this early stage, the causes and motives behind the incident are unknown and are still being examined as part of an official investigation,” the statement said.
Flydubai also called for avoiding speculation until the investigation is complete: “We call on all parties to refrain from early speculation while authorities gather the facts.” The airline said its immediate priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of passengers and crew involved in the incident, while assisting authorities with the official investigation.