Saudi Interior Ministry: Flight deck assistant attacked before Flydubai's emergency landing in Tabuk
- The plane landed safely with 174 passengers on board... all of whom departed on a replacement flight
- The captain and his co-pilot left for Abu Dhabi after their condition improved, accompanied by an Emirati security team
- Preliminary investigations were conducted with Emirati participation... and the Kingdom handles emergency situations in accordance with its international and humanitarian obligations
A senior source in the Saudi Ministry of Interior clarified that the competent authorities initiated the necessary procedures to manage the emergency declared by Flydubai flight FZ1073, granting the aircraft permission to make an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk on Wednesday. The plane landed safely at 9:45 a.m. with 174 passengers and eight crew members on board, who received the necessary care.
The source added, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), that all passengers completed their journey at 5:40 p.m. on a replacement Flydubai aircraft, while the crew members returned to Dubai on another company plane, except for the captain and his co-pilot, who were transferred to the hospital for treatment based on an assessment of their health condition.
He explained that preliminary investigations conducted by the competent authorities in the Kingdom, with the participation of an Emirati security team, indicated that an assault occurred against the captain by his co-pilot, resulting in various injuries to both.
The source confirmed that the captain and his co-pilot left the Kingdom for Abu Dhabi on Thursday morning after their health improved and the medical team permitted their departure, accompanied by the Emirati security team.
He emphasized that the Kingdom handles emergency situations in accordance with its international and humanitarian obligations, and in line with the systems and regulations approved by the relevant authorities, to ensure the safety and security of air navigation and the readiness of the Kingdom’s aviation and security systems to respond quickly and effectively to exceptional situations.
