Sheikh Abdullah inquires about flydubai passengers' safety in phone call with Israeli FM

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a phone call with with Gideon Sa’ar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel on Wednesday.

During the call, Sheikh Abdullah inquired about the safety of the passengers aboard the flydubai flight traveling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport, which experienced a security incident that was brought under control. The UAE minister expressed his wishes for their continued health and well-being and conveyed his greetings to the passengers' families.

Flydubai flight FZ 1073 was en route to Tel Aviv when an altercation on board led to its diversion to Saudi Arabia. The security incident, GCAA said, prompted the aircraft to divert and make an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport. The airline later deployed replacement aircrafts, which then took the passengers from Tabuk to Tel Aviv.

"The incident resulted in injuries to some members of the flight crew, who were taken to hospital to receive the necessary medical care in Saudi Arabia," the GCAA said in their statement.

During the phone call, the two ministers also discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them, and exchanged views on the overall developments in the region.

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