Saudi Arabia's National Transport Safety Center (NTSC) has opened a safety investigation into the emergency landing of Flydubai flight FZ1073 at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, an event now subject to two separate state inquiries on either side of the Gulf.

The NTSC said on Wednesday, Oct. 1, that it had received a report on the incident and dispatched a team to Tabuk to examine the circumstances, collect evidence and assess aviation safety aspects in coordination with the relevant authorities. The disclosure came a day after the aircraft landed safely at 9:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Sept. 30, roughly one hour after its crew declared an emergency.

According to the airport, its air traffic control center received a distress call from FZ1073 at 8:44 a.m. requesting an emergency landing. Controllers declared an emergency and prepared assistance. Both the captain and the co-pilot sustained injuries and went to hospital for treatment. The airline dispatched a replacement aircraft, which departed Tabuk at 5:40 p.m. the same day with all passengers aboard, continuing them to their final destination.

The reason for the diversion lies not in the airframe or engines but in the flight deck. UAE authorities have opened a separate criminal investigation into an altercation inside the cockpit during the flight, which prompted crew members traveling as passengers aboard the aircraft to intervene and secure the flight deck.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the cockpit altercation on Thursday and thanked Saudi authorities for their cooperation and handling of the incident after the landing. UAE Attorney General Dr. Hamad Al-Shamsi ordered the formation of a team of specialized public prosecutors to investigate.

The ministry laid out the jurisdictional basis plainly: the aircraft is registered in the UAE and flies the UAE flag, so UAE law applies to crimes committed aboard it even outside national territory. The investigation will examine the circumstances and motives behind the incident, including any connection to terrorist activity or purpose, or any prior planning or direction.

The Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported that the prosecutorial team had begun work in coordination with the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and other relevant authorities. The UAE Foreign Ministry urged the public to rely on official sources and avoid speculation or unverified reports until investigations conclude and findings are released.

The incident leaves the two investigations running on distinct tracks. The NTSC's mandate covers operational and safety questions — what happened in the cockpit, how the flight was secured and what the event says about flight-crew procedures. The UAE prosecutorial probe addresses criminal liability, scope and intent.

For Flydubai, the operational disruption was contained within a single day: one aircraft diverted, two pilots hospitalized, one replacement flight operated. The reputational and regulatory exposure will depend on what the two investigations establish about how an altercation between the two pilots of an in-flight aircraft could develop to the point that off-duty crew had to intervene. Both the NTSC and the UAE authorities have yet to announce timelines for their findings.