A rescue flight carrying passengers from flydubai flight FZ1073 took off from Saudi Arabia's Tabuk Airport on Wednesday, bound for Tel Aviv, with the airport saying that all passengers from the original flight involved in an earlier hijacking attempt had boarded the rescue flight.
The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) said the flydubai rescue flight is expected to arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport 45 minutes after takeoff, around 6:15 p.m.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport to welcome the passengers, with a Magen David Adom spokesperson noting that its teams are on standby alongside airport medical teams, ready to conduct medical screenings of the arriving passengers and provide care if needed.
Some Israeli passengers initially refused to board a rescue flight arranged for them on Wednesday by flydubai after the attempted hijacking of flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
A source told The Jerusalem Post that the passengers in question said they would not board a flight that is not operated by an Israeli aircraft amid reports that the pilot suspected of attempting to hijack flight FZ1073 was of Omani origin. Of flight FZ1073's 174 passengers, 166 of them were Israelis, Israeli media reported earlier on Wednesday.
The Mossad and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) approved the flydubai rescue flight's crew later on Wednesday.
Several defense officials have insisted that the IAF return the Israeli citizens from Saudi Arabia to Israel as soon as possible. However, the Air Force was denied permission to do so by Saudi authorities later on Wednesday.
Passenger to 'Post': Will not board flydubai flight 'unless there is no other choice'
"We are interested in an Israeli plane to take us; we don't want to board the horrible company that put us through hell here today," one passenger told the Post. "I am not willing to board a flydubai flight unless there is no other choice."
The passenger added that children were crying amid the ordeal at Tabuk Airport.
Idan Kweller and Reuters contributed to this report.