Flight to Israel transmits hijack code; IAF scrambled

A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv carrying about 150 passengers, many of them Israelis, transmitted an emergency signal and reportedly a hijack code on Wednesday morning, prompting the Israeli Air Force to scramble fighter jets toward the aircraft.

Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737, broadcast squawk code 7700, the international signal for a general emergency, according to Flightradar24. Israeli media reported that the crew then briefly transmitted code 7500, which is used to report a hijacking, while the plane was descending and turning back.

The flight departed Dubai at 7:00 a.m. and was due to land at Ben Gurion Airport at around 9:30 a.m. Shortly after entering Jordanian airspace, it changed course and diverted toward Saudi Arabia, where it is was reportedly expected to land.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz convened an urgent security consultation. A security source cautioned: "There is no certain information about a hijacking. The pilot activated a distress signal."

It was not immediately clear what triggered the emergency codes or what was happening on board. Hijack codes have been transmitted in error in the past: in July, a LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Tel Aviv prompted Israel, Bulgaria and Turkey to scramble jets before the alert was traced to an incorrectly set transponder.

According to Faytuks Network:

Ready for more?

A FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv briefly squwaked 7700 (international code for emergency) then 7500 (international code for a hijacking) while descending manually and turning around.

The aircraft entered a sharp right turn and descended rapidly at the same time. The plane was able to recover and is currently in level flight and not squawking emergency codes.

Faytuks Network claims:

Israeli reports suggest an altercation between the aircraft’s pilots may have prompted activation of the emergency signal. The plane is expected to land in Saudi Arabia within minutes.

Hallel Bitton Rosen added:

The plane will land in the coming minutes at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport, adjacent to the city of Tabuk in northern Saudi Arabia.

Amit Segal first reported: The aircraft has not made contact since the beginning of the incident. This appears to be an extremely serious incident.

He now says that "the two pilots appear to have gotten into a punch up mid-flight and the entire Middle East went on high alert."

The plane recently disappeared from tracking, but then returned to show up on radar.

An unverified claim says that the aircraft has not been given permission to land in Israel.

UPDATE (10:05): The plane is heading for Tabuk airport in northwest Saudi Arabia, where it was last picked up by flight-tracking sites, according to Haaretz. Security officials sent reassuring messages and said the aircraft was expected to land there, Calcalist reported.

According to Calcalist, 174 passengers are on board, including 27 children. Israeli officials are examining the possibility that the distress signal was triggered by a violent incident on board, most likely between the pilots themselves.

The plane transmitted the emergency codes about an hour and a half into the flight, as it entered Jordanian airspace, then turned back into Saudi airspace and continued flying at a lower altitude.

This story will be updated as more details emerge.