Israel-bound flight plunges 20,000 feet after 'fight between pilots' causes emergency diversion

A passenger plane flying to Israel from Dubai dropped around 20,000 feet following an alleged physical altercation involving the pilots onboard, resulting in it being diverted towards Saudi Arabia.

According to the BBC, unconfirmed reports by passengers say a pilot was stabbed in the cockpit of the Flydubai plane, while CNN says a pilot and co-pilot were injured and taken to hospital during the reported altercation.

Flydubai confirmed Flight FZ1073 started transmitting an emergency signal, and then another signal which warns when a plane is being hijacked.

However, the aircraft then switched back to the general emergency signal as it changed course over Jordan and safely landed at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia, with all 150 passengers safe and accounted for.

Reuters reports that an Israeli official said the pilots had switched on the emergency signal after getting into a 'physical altercation' with each other.

Data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft drop from around 34,000 feet to 14,000 feet over the course of two minutes, with it making most of that plummet in around 30 seconds.

Data from the plane's flight showed it had to change course and land before reaching Israel (Flightradar24)

Israeli officials said that 'the most severe disaster was prevented' and they were working on arranging an alternative travel arrangement for those passengers who were now stuck in Saudi Arabia.

A statement from Cluster2 Airports Company said: "The flight landed safely at 09:45 local time, where it was found that the captain and first officer sustained injuries, and were immediately transferred to hospital to receive the necessary medical care.

"Passengers were provided with the necessary assistance at the terminal, while coordination is underway with flydubai to arrange a replacement aircraft."

Miriam Abu Kasis was one of the passengers on board the plane and her mother Yasmin told Reuters that her daughter had heard screaming and a man with a knife had forced one of the pilots to the floor.

Images of a passenger with blood staining his shirt have been circulated.

A Flydubai 737 was the plane that had to divert with around 150 passengers on board (GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Flydubai said in a statement: "Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities. Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available."

The Israeli prime minister's office has since said the situation is now 'under control' and they were focused on finding a route for the passengers to continue their journey.

The Times of Israel reports that officials in the country are concerned that the inflight emergency was an attempted terror attack, though other options including a pilot suffering from a mental health episode are also under consideration.

Israel did scramble fighter jets in response to the emergency transmission from the Flydubai plane, a Boeing 737 Max 8, but the danger appears to have passed.

Flydubai is the lower cost sister-carrier of Emirates, and Dubai has become a popular holiday destination for Israeli citizens since ties were normalised with the UAE.

LADbible Group has contacted Flydubai for further comment.