The captain and first officer of a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv were hospitalized with injuries Wednesday after the plane made an emergency landing, according to a notice from Cluster 2 Airports.
Flight FZ1073 landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport at 9:45 a.m. local time. The pilots were immediately taken to a hospital for medical care, the notice said.
About an hour earlier, at 8:44 a.m., the airport’s air traffic control unit had notified it of a distress call from the flight requesting an emergency landing. The airport then declared the emergency response level required under its established protocols.
In a separate statement, a flydubai spokesperson confirmed that the flight from Dubai International to Ben Gurion International Airport “experienced an incident while en route.” The airline said the aircraft landed safely at Tabuk Airport and that all passengers were safe and accounted for.
Neither statement described the nature of the incident or how the pilots were injured.
Passengers received assistance at the terminal while the airport coordinated with flydubai to arrange a replacement aircraft, according to the notice.
Relevant authorities are investigating the incident, the airport said. It also said it remains committed to the regulations of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and to international conventions on the safety of civil air navigation, passengers and crew.
Flydubai said its teams are working closely with authorities and will issue further updates as more confirmed details become available.
