Emergency signal sounded for seven minutes before flight changed directionpublished at 10:28 BST
10:28 BST
By Paul Brown
Flight FZ103 from Dubai to Tel Aviv issued an emergency signal for around seven minutes, shortly after an abrupt change of direction and descent over Saudi Arabia, according to data from Flightradar24.
The flight took off at 03:05 UTC (04:05 BST), after a 20-minute delay.
The emergency “squawk” code 7700, declaring a “general emergency” was issued at around 05:31 UTC.
Flightradar24 have since said on X that another emergency signal – 7500, declaring “unlawful interference” – was issued at 05:38, although this is not visible on their website.
The flight briefly entered Jordanian airspace at 05:40 before looping back into Saudi airspace six minutes later.
It began descending again at 06:11 on an apparent course towards Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Location data became temporarily unavailable shortly thereafter, until 06:58, when it re-emerged at Tabuk airport.
