Fly Dubai announced on Friday that a comprehensive official investigation is currently underway regarding a "safety-related incident" that occurred in the cockpit of the aircraft heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv, before it diverted its course to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

The CEO of the company, Ghaith Al Ghaith, stated in a statement: "It is important to allow this process to uncover the facts."
Al Ghaith explained in the statement: "On September 30, the Fly Dubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to land at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia due to a security incident that occurred in the cockpit."

He continued: "We are pleased for the safety of all 172 passengers on the flight, as well as our crew members, including the captain who returned to the UAE after receiving the necessary medical evaluation. We continue to provide all support to those affected."
He added: "I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the brave captain who took control of the aircraft, and our standby pilots who secured the aircraft and landed it safely, along with the flight crew. I would like to express my gratitude to all the passengers on board who assisted our crew during this difficult situation."

Al Ghaith also thanked "the relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia for their swift and professional response in these exceptional circumstances, and the authorities and all relevant entities in the UAE for their support to our passengers and crews during their safe return to the country."

He stated that "based on the request of the relevant authorities, we have temporarily suspended our operations to Tel Aviv until further notice. Our teams are working around the clock to support the affected passengers and assist them in reaching their final destinations."

Al Ghaith added: "I know there are many questions about what happened on board the flight. There is a full official investigation by the relevant authorities with the full support of Fly Dubai. It is important to allow this process to discover the facts."