Israel Scrambled Jets During Flydubai Cockpit Emergency

Israeli fighter jets were scrambled during a cockpit emergency aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 and later recalled after the aircraft turned toward Saudi Arabia, according to accounts citing Israeli sources. Those sources said Israel was prepared to consider shooting the passenger plane down if it approached Israeli airspace and officials determined it had been hijacked. The plane instead landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after people aboard intervened. The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when the aircraft suddenly lost altitude and attempts to contact the cockpit reportedly went unanswered. The accounts say Israeli authorities activated emergency procedures, established a command center and temporarily closed Israeli airspace. Saudi Arabia also scrambled aircraft, according to the reports. The accounts describe the shootdown as a contingency, not an action taken. Israeli fighter pilots would have approached the aircraft to assess the cockpit and cabin, the sources said. If officials concluded the plane had been hijacked and could not establish contact, the matter would have been escalated to senior officials.