Preliminary reports suggest the incident may have been triggered by a fight on board, according to UA.news.
During the descent, the crew first transmitted code 7700, indicating a general emergency, and later switched to code 7500, which is used to signal unlawful interference or a possible hijacking.
The aircraft then switched to manual control, turned around and headed toward Saudi Arabia. At one point, contact with the aircraft was lost. The plane was not allowed to land at Ben-Gurion Airport.
According to preliminary reports, the pilots were out of contact with air traffic controllers in Israel and Jordan for a period of time.
A spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office stated that the diversion to Saudi Arabia of a Flydubai flight to Israel on Wednesday is not believed to be a hijacking incident.
There were 180 passengers on board, around 100 of them Israeli citizens.
There is currently no official confirmation that a hijacking occurred. The cause of the incident and circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s landing in Saudi Arabia are being investigated.
