Saudi authorities handled an inflight emergency on Flydubai flight FZ1073 on Wednesday, September 30, allowing it to make an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, an official source at the Ministry of Interior said.

The plane touched down safely at 9:45 a.m. with 174 passengers and eight crew members, all of whom received the logistical and medical care they needed. At 5:40 p.m., the passengers resumed their journey on a replacement Flydubai aircraft, and the crew flew back to Dubai on a separate flight run by the airline. The captain and co-pilot were taken to a local hospital for assessment and treatment.

Initial investigations by the Saudi authorities, coordinated with a security team from the United Arab Emirates, showed that a fight broke out in which the co-pilot attacked the captain, leaving both injured. Once medically cleared, the two pilots left Saudi Arabia for Abu Dhabi on Thursday, October 1, accompanied by the UAE security team, the source said.

The source stressed that the Kingdom deals with all emergencies in full compliance with its international and humanitarian obligations and civil aviation safety standards, and that its aviation and security sectors are ready to respond quickly and effectively to exceptional situations.