Saudi Arabia Rejects Israeli Request to Fly Home Passengers Stranded After Emergency Landing, report says

Saudi Arabia has rejected a request from Israel to allow Israeli military aircraft to enter the kingdom and transport Israeli passengers stranded there after a Flydubai flight made an emergency landing, according to two Saudi security sources cited by Reuters.

The Flydubai aircraft was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when it was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after an emergency incident on board.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the flight’s co-pilot allegedly stabbed the pilot and attempted to crash the aircraft. Passengers reportedly restrained the co-pilot, while other pilots took control and safely landed the plane in Saudi Arabia.

One of the security sources said Israel had planned to send C-130 Super Hercules military aircraft to Saudi Arabia to collect the passengers. However, Saudi authorities rejected the request.

The passengers were later expected to continue their journey aboard another Flydubai aircraft, according to the airline.

Saudi Arabia and Israel do not have diplomatic relations. Riyadh has also not joined the US-brokered Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab countries.

US President Donald Trump has been encouraging Saudi Arabia to join the accords, but Riyadh has maintained that it would require a pathway toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Saudi government officials did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on the rejected request.

Source: Reuters

• Tweet
• Share
• Share
• Share
• Share