Dubai carrier flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel following a security incident involving pilots of flight FZ1073, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

The airline said the suspension would remain in place while authorities investigate what happened.

“The safety and wellbeing of our passengers, crew and operations remain our highest priority,” flydubai said in a statement.

Flight FZ1073, operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, requested an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk at 8:44am local time, the airport operator Cluster2 Airports said.

The aircraft landed safely at 9:45am after the airport activated its emergency response procedures.

The captain and first officer were found to have sustained injuries and were transferred to hospital for medical treatment, the Saudi airport operator said. Passengers were assisted at the terminal while arrangements were made with flydubai for replacement aircraft.

Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an “incident while en route” and landed safely in Tabuk, with all passengers safe and accounted for. The carrier said it was working with the relevant authorities and would provide further information as confirmed details became available.

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said the flight had experienced a security incident that was brought under control, necessitating its diversion and emergency landing in Tabuk.

The GCAA said the incident resulted in injuries to some members of the aircraft crew, who were taken to a Saudi hospital for medical care.

The authority said its investigation teams, working with the relevant authorities, were examining the causes and circumstances of the incident, including its operational and security aspects.

The GCAA urged the public not to circulate unofficial information or pre-empt the findings of the investigation, saying the findings would be released once issued.

The airline said it had deployed two replacement aircraft to Tabuk to assist passengers and crew.

Emirates has also suspended its codeshare flights to Tel Aviv following the incident, said a Gulf News report.

The Saudi airport operator said the relevant authorities were conducting investigations into the incident and reaffirmed its commitment to Saudi aviation regulations, General Authority of Civil Aviation instructions and international agreements governing aviation safety and the safety of passengers and crew.

The incident occurred as the flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "one of the pilots stabbed the second pilot and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board". He added in a statement that almost all the passengers on the flight were Israelis. One reported that "the plane went into a spin and began to dive", Netanyahu said.

"He told me that, somehow or other, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members" and neutralise the attacker. "Another flight crew on board entered the cockpit and managed to stabilise the plane," he added. He added that the stabbing pilot was arrested and was being interrogated by the Saudi authorities. Israeli security services have been instructed to prepare for additional potential threats. "I salute the heroes on the flight from Dubai who demonstrated resourcefulness and courage.”