Israel Identifies 'Code Global Trade' as Protocol Activated During Flydubai Hijack Response

Overview

• The incident began on September 30 when Flydubai flight FZ1073 signaled a hijack after the co-pilot attacked the captain and other crew and passengers restrained the assailant and diverted the aircraft to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
• Israel has acknowledged that it activated the IDF emergency procedure known as Code Global Trade and scrambled four armed F-16s to escort the airliner but says no order to shoot down the plane was issued.
• The published protocol directs fighters to attempt contact and escort a suspect aircraft and includes a last-resort option to intercept and destroy a civilian plane if it is judged to be a weapon against populated areas.
• UAE and Saudi investigators describe the co-pilot’s actions as a planned, ideology-driven attack, U.S. and regional authorities have joined aviation safety probes, and Flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel pending the investigations.
• Developed after the September 11 attacks, the protocol is triggered by indicators such as the international hijack transponder code and relies on air-traffic data and intelligence inputs, a setup that is now driving tighter pilot screening and changes to flight procedures into Israel.