Flydubai suspends Tel Aviv flights until further notice at authorities’ request

Dubai-based carrier Flydubai temporarily suspended flights to Tel Aviv at the request of authorities following this week’s cockpit incident aboard one of its aircraft, the airline’s chief executive said Friday.

“At the request of the authorities, we have temporarily suspended operations to Tel Aviv until further notice,” CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said in a statement carried by the Dubai Media Office.

He said the airline’s teams are working to assist passengers affected by the suspension and help them reach their final destinations.

Al Ghaith also provided an update on flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Sept. 30 when it was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, following a “safety incident in the flight deck.”

He said all 172 passengers and crew aboard are safe and receiving support.

The aircraft‘s captain, who was injured during the incident, has returned to the UAE after receiving medical clearance, Al Ghaith said.

He praised the captain and the pilots “who secured the aircraft and landed it safely,” as well as the cabin crew and passengers who assisted during the incident.

Al Ghaith also thanked Saudi authorities for their “swift and professional response,” as well as UAE authorities and other parties involved in helping the passengers and crew return home.

The flight was granted permission to make an emergency landing Wednesday at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

A full official investigation led by the relevant authorities and supported by flydubai is underway, he said.

“I know there are many questions about what happened on board FZ1073,” Al Ghaith said, stressing that “it is important that we allow this process to establish the facts.”

Flydubai said that “an altercation occurred in the flight deck” and that crew members secured the aircraft before it diverted safely to Saudi Arabia.

Airport officials said the captain and first officer were injured and taken to a hospital following the incident.

The UAE authorities said Thursday that an investigation into the incident will examine whether the cockpit altercation was linked to “terrorist activity” or involved prior planning or direction.