Flydubai flight diverted to Saudi Arabia after cockpit incident

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday after an incident in the cockpit prompted a major security response in Israel. According to passenger accounts and officials cited by Reuters and other outlets, the aircraft suddenly lost altitude before the crew declared an emergency. Israeli authorities initially feared the plane could have been hijacked and briefly scrambled fighter jets while the situation developed. Flydubai said flight FZ1073 landed safely and that everyone aboard was reported safe. The airline said it is working with authorities as investigators examine what happened and why the flight entered emergency status during the journey to Ben Gurion Airport.