The first Israeli repatriation flight from Dubai following the attempted attack aboard a Flydubai flight landed at Ben Gurion Airport shortly after 1:20 a.m. Saturday, after authorities resolved a dispute that had delayed efforts to bring stranded Israelis home.
The Arkia flight departed Dubai on Friday night after Emirati authorities had earlier demanded that a cargo aircraft accompany passenger flights bound for Israel in order to transport travelers’ luggage separately.
Arkia flight from Dubai to Israel
(Video: Arkia)
The issue was eventually resolved, allowing the Arkia aircraft to depart. Another flight operated by Israir was expected to follow.
Arkia had earlier been forced to delay sending an empty aircraft to Dubai after the UAE imposed the baggage requirement. The airline initially agreed to dispatch a separate cargo plane, but Emirati authorities sought to apply the procedure to subsequent flights as well.
Arkia said the operation involved close coordination with Israeli authorities and significant security and operational preparations. It was the airline’s first such operation from Dubai following the aviation disruption triggered by the Flydubai incident.
Flydubai, meanwhile, has suspended all flights to and from Israel while authorities investigate the attempted attack aboard Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The airline said the suspension was coordinated with the relevant authorities and would remain under review as the investigation progresses.
Etihad Airways has continued operating between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv under tightened security arrangements and announced additional flights intended to help passengers return.
Emirati source accuses Israel of politicizing crisis
The flight disruptions have also exposed tensions between Israel and the UAE over how the aftermath of the incident has been handled.
A source close to the government in Abu Dhabi accused Israel of using the attempted attack for political purposes and delaying the restoration of Flydubai services.
“They are talking about ‘repatriation flights’ as though there is a war in the country. There is no war,” the source told ynet.
The source argued that if Israeli passengers could be flown home aboard Arkia, there was no reason Flydubai should not be allowed to resume carrying passengers to Israel under enhanced security procedures.
(Photo: Ronen Fefer / shutterstock)
“Who is stopping the flights? Israel,” the source claimed. “If passengers can board an Arkia flight, why not Flydubai?”
The source also objected to Israel’s use of the term “repatriation” or “rescue” flights, arguing that it falsely suggested the UAE was experiencing a war or emergency.
“Rescue from what? From whom? From where?” the source said.
A separate report citing a source close to the UAE government similarly said Emirati officials believed Israel was exploiting the Flydubai incident for political purposes amid Israel’s election campaign. That remains an allegation by the Emirati source rather than an established fact.
The source said the UAE was prepared to strengthen security procedures and increase screening of flight crews, while accusing Israel of slowing efforts to restore normal aviation links.
“Obviously there was a failure,” the source acknowledged, referring to the attempted attack. But the source argued that Israeli officials did not appreciate the effect the dispute was having on the UAE-Israel relationship.
“We are going crazy over Israel’s behavior,” the source said. “It doesn’t seem like the Israeli government understands what it is doing.”
Emirati authorities are conducting their own investigation into the Omani co-pilot accused of attempting to crash the Flydubai aircraft and have said they are cooperating with other governments as the probe continues.
The source also alleged that Emirati officials believed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was seeking to connect the incident to Iran for political reasons ahead of Israel’s election. Israeli security officials have said that, at this stage, they have found no indication that the co-pilot was directed by an outside actor, though all possibilities remain under investigation.
The dispute unfolded after Flydubai suspended Israel service following the cockpit attack, leaving aviation links between the two countries sharply reduced and prompting Israeli carriers to arrange flights for stranded passengers.