flydubai plane diverts to Saudi Arabia with 80 Israelis on board
DUBAI – A flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv made an unexpected landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a medical emergency involving one of the passengers.
The plane, carrying around 80 Israelis, departed Dubai International Airport at 4:17 pm and had been scheduled to land at Ben-Gurion Airport at 5:45 pm. Instead, it touched down in Riyadh at the same time after the Israeli passenger suffered a stroke.
The passenger was immediately transferred to a local hospital in the Saudi capital for treatment, according to Israeli outlet N12. The aircraft was given exceptional permission to land, and passengers remained on Saudi soil for several hours before continuing their journey to Israel.
Travellers described tense moments during the unscheduled stop. Some passengers recalled being left without updates for three to four hours and unable to contact relatives due to lack of mobile reception.
Among the passengers was an infant travelling with his mother. Passengers spent over three hours on the ground before the plane was cleared to take off again.
Saudi Arabia permitted the landing under the Chicago Convention, which obliges states to assist aircraft in distress even without diplomatic relations.