Netanyahu holds consultations over diverted Flydubai flight; spokesman says ‘not a hijacking’

DUBAI – Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is holding consultations over a Flydubai flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel that was diverted from its path, three Israeli security officials said on Sept 30.An Israeli source said Flight FZ 1073 was expected to land in Saudi Arabia shortly, and that the situation would then become more clear.A spokesman for Netanyahu’s office said the incident is not a hijacking.Separate reports said the plane had already landed safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia, and that operations at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv had resumed.Other accounts online suggested that the incident was not due to a security issue, but instead precipitated by an altercation on board the aircraft.The plane was carrying some 180 passengers, many of them Israelis. REUTERS