RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior said on Thursday that the co-pilot of the Flydubai aircraft, which made an emergency landing in Tabuk on Wednesday morning, assaulted the captain, leaving both men injured. After their conditions improved and doctors cleared them to travel, both the pilot and the co-pilot have been transferred to the United Arab Emirates. “Following medical clearance, both pilots departed Saudi Arabia for Abu Dhabi on Thursday, accompanied by the UAE security team, an official source at the ministry said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.Preliminary investigations conducted by the competent Saudi authorities, in coordination with a security team from the United Arab Emirates, revealed that an altercation occurred in cockpit during which the co-pilot assaulted the captain, resulting in injuries to both individuals, the source said. Both the pilot and co-pilot were taken to hospital following the emergency landing of the Flydubai aircraft at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in the northwestern city of Tabuk. The official source stated that competent Saudi authorities managed an inflight emergency declared aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, authorizing an emergency landing at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk on Wednesday. The aircraft landed safely at 9:45 a.m. with 174 passengers and an eight-member flight crew on board, all of whom received necessary logistical and medical care. The captain and co-pilot were transferred to a local hospital for medical evaluation and treatment following the emergency landing. At 5:40 p.m., all passengers continued their journey on a replacement Flydubai aircraft, and the flight crew returned to Dubai on a separate flight operated by the airline. The official source reaffirmed that Saudi Arabia handles all emergency situations in full adherence to its international and humanitarian obligations, upholding civil aviation safety standards and demonstrating the operational readiness of the Kingdom's aviation and security sectors to respond rapidly and effectively to exceptional circumstances.