Israeli airlines plan to resume Dubai flights after flydubai incident
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The UAE accounted for 1.5 million, or 8.3%, of the passengers travelling through Ben Gurion International Airport in 2025, behind only Greece and the US.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Israeli airlines El Al, Israir, and Arkia plan to resume flights to Dubai after the flydubai incident, seeking security approval and aiming to restore competition and travel options.
- Flydubai suspended Dubai-Tel Aviv flights after a co-pilot stabbed the captain on Sept 30; the captain was saved, and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
- Israeli authorities are negotiating with Emirati counterparts to resume flights; rescue flights will begin soon to return stranded passengers, with increased flights requested from Etihad Airlines.
AI generated
JERUSALEM – Israel’s three largest airlines said on Oct 1 they planned to resume flights to Dubai after what Israeli officials have said was an apparent attempt to crash a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv the previous day.
Dubai has been one of the most popular destinations for Israelis since the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed the Abraham Accords in 2020.
The UAE accounted for 1.5 million, or 8.3%, of the passengers travelling through Ben Gurion International Airport in 2025, behind only Greece and the United States.
The security authorities halted Israeli airlines’ flights to the UAE at the outset of the war with Iran in late February. Still, 837,000 passengers, or 7.5% of the total travelling through Ben Gurion, flew there over the first eight months of 2026, half of them on flydubai.
Israeli airlines El Al, Israir and Arkia have asked the security authorities for permission to resume flights to Dubai.
Flag carrier El Al said it plans at least two daily flights starting in November, contingent upon receiving the necessary approvals from the relevant state authorities.
Israir said it aims for as many as 10 weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai, while Arkia said it would resume flights as soon as operational and logistical readiness allows.
Arkia said it was important to foster competition on the route and give Israeli travellers the option to fly with Israeli airlines.
A senior Israeli security official told Reuters that talks are ongoing with Emirati counterparts.
“It’s something that we are working on...we hope that soon we will have final confirmation that we can allow Israeli airlines to resume flights.”
Shares of El Al and Israir have risen more than 12% since Sept 30.
Rescue flights
Disaster was averted on flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Sept 30 after a co-pilot stabbed the captain, who managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers to subdue the attacker before a reserve crew landed the plane in Saudi Arabia.
Posters on Israeli social media sites have suggested that travellers could find it hard to trust non-Israeli pilots in the future.
Flydubai has suspended flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv while an investigation into the incident on Sept 30 is carried out.
Israel’s Transportation Ministry said the suspension aligns with the Prime Minister’s directive and the recommendation of the Minister of Transportation and the head of the Shin Bet security agency.
El Al, Israir and Arkia said they plan to operate rescue flights from Dubai starting on Oct 2 to bring back stranded passengers, dependent on approval from the security authorities and after agreeing to state compensation.
The Transportation Ministry said it has also sent an urgent request to Etihad Airlines to increase the number of flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. REUTERS