A commercial passenger plane flying from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to Tel Aviv, Israel, triggered a hijacking scare after a dispute between its pilots led to an emergency signal being transmitted.

The aircraft in question turned around and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, and all passengers and crew members are reported to be safe.

According to local media outlets such as The Times of Israel on the 30th (local time), an emergency signal was sent out from a flydubai passenger plane carrying about 180 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv earlier that day.

About two and a half hours after takeoff, the plane transmitted "Code 7700," which is sent when a serious threat to aircraft operations occurs, such as a mechanical defect, engine failure, fire, or a severe medical emergency involving a passenger.

However, a short time later, the aircraft changed its signal to "Code 7500," which signifies a hijacking or unlawful interference.

In response, Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled toward the passenger plane, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz convened an emergency security meeting.

The aircraft turned around over Saudi Arabian airspace and landed at Tabuk Airport, which is used for both civilian and military purposes.

Israeli security officials stated that the incident stemmed from a dispute between the pilots of the passenger plane, and all passengers were safe.

A regional official briefed on the incident said that a physical altercation took place in the cockpit and the situation appeared to stem from a dispute between the pilots.

The cause of the fight was not immediately known, the official added.

Authorities are investigating the specific circumstances that led the passenger plane to issue the emergency signals.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office subsequently announced that the situation was under control and that the Israeli government was working to safely repatriate the passengers.

Previously in 2022, two pilots engaged in a physical brawl inside the cockpit of an Air France passenger flight from Geneva to Paris and were suspended.

However, that aircraft did not deviate from its route and landed as scheduled.

flydubai is a low-cost sister airline of Emirates.

Since normalizing diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, the UAE has established itself as a popular vacation destination for Israeli tourists.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)