The unusual incident on a Flydubai flight is beginning to affect the travel plans of Israelis scheduled to fly with the airline in the coming days and weeks.
The plane was traveling Wednesday morning from Dubai to Israel when, according to suspicions, the co-pilot tried to stab the pilot and crash the aircraft. After he was subdued, the flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia, and the fallout from the incident has continued.
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Emirates, Flydubai and Etihad aircraft
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Travel companies say they have begun receiving initial inquiries from passengers considering changing their itineraries or canceling their flights, including Israelis currently abroad who are due to return home through Dubai on Flydubai connecting flights.
Shahar, from Tel Aviv, is scheduled to fly to the Philippines on Friday with Flydubai via Dubai.
“When reports first came out this morning about a possible hijacking of a Flydubai plane, I was still relatively calm,” he told ynet. “I didn’t really believe this was a terror incident and thought it might have been more of a distress-button issue or a technical problem with the plane.”
But as more details emerged, he said, his concerns grew.
“As the picture becomes clearer and more information about the co-pilot is published, I have to admit that both my partner and my parents are pressuring me to change my route,” he said. “I’m already looking for another flight, probably through Madrid, to the Philippines.”
He said such a change could come at a steep price.
“If I decide not to show up for the Flydubai flight, I’ll probably lose the money I paid for the ticket, and at the same time I’ll have to spend more on a new ticket even though I already have one all the way to the Philippines,” he said. “I also understand there’s a possibility Flydubai flights could be suspended, and that makes me feel I have no choice but to buy a new ticket on a route that doesn’t include a connection through the Emirates.”
Travel companies say they are beginning to see signs of concern, although there is no wave of cancellations at this stage.
Tamar Gerzon, CEO of Gulliver, said: “So far we have received a small number of inquiries about canceling flights to Dubai. We are listening to our customers and continuing to monitor developments.”
Dubai International Airport (DXB)
(Photo: Shutterstock.com / Yatrik Sheth)
Revital Ben Natan, CEO of Ofakim Travel, said the incident had prompted inquiries from private customers, business travelers and organized groups planning to fly to or return from Dubai in the near future.
“Some asked our agents to check alternatives, while others wanted to know whether there were any special instructions,” she said. “There is no doubt that the uncertainty is clearly felt in the conversations.”
She said concern is also being felt among Israelis already vacationing in Asia who are due to return to Israel on connecting flights through Dubai.
“After a long period of uncertainty in the aviation industry, an incident like this touches passengers at their most sensitive point: their sense of security on the way to a trip or on the way home,” she said. “Israelis who are already in the East and are supposed to return through Dubai are checking alternatives.”
Still, Ben Natan said it was too early to make hasty decisions.
“While the circumstances are still being clarified, it is important to rely on official updates,” she said. “Our responsibility is to remain available, provide clear information based on what we know and help examine options for those who are worried about flying. The public now needs transparency and a human response.”
Industry officials estimate that the concern could also spread to Israeli passengers scheduled to fly with other Emirati airlines, including Emirates and Etihad, and that some may consider changing routes or canceling, particularly on connecting flights through Dubai and Abu Dhabi. At this stage, however, there are still no figures indicating a wave of cancellations on those airlines.
Thousands of dollars for an alternative ticket
It is important to note that a passenger who decides independently to cancel a Flydubai flight is not automatically entitled to a full refund. Eligibility depends on the ticket conditions and fare type purchased.
If the airline cancels the flight or suspends operations on the route, however, passengers would be entitled to a refund for the canceled flight or an alternative, in accordance with the applicable rules.
For those who choose now to give up their Flydubai flight and buy a new ticket with an Israeli airline, the cost could be especially high.
A review of current prices shows that seats are still available on some El Al and Arkia flights to Asia during the holiday period, but limited availability — and, in some cases, the fact that only business-class seats remain — has pushed fares into the thousands of dollars per passenger.
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For example, Arkia is still offering a direct economy-class flight to Bangkok from Oct. 5 to Oct. 11 starting at $2,198 per passenger, including a carry-on and checked bag.
A passenger seeking to leave earlier, on Oct. 3, and return Oct. 11 would find only business-class seats available on the outbound flight, bringing the total fare to about $3,100.
Passengers looking only for a return flight from Bangkok are also facing high prices. As of now, Arkia has only a few business-class seats left starting Oct. 3, priced at about $2,700 per person, including a carry-on and checked bag.
Prices on El Al are also rising sharply as economy-class availability shrinks.
A check of flights for early October found that economy seats were still available on some outbound flights to Bangkok, but on some return flights only business-class seats remained.
For example, one outbound flight was offered for about $482, while the return in business class was priced at more than $4,100. A one-way return flight from Bangkok on Oct. 5 was found at about $4,503 per person, including a carry-on and checked bag.
An opportunity for Israeli airlines: Will they return to Dubai?
The prices cited above were valid as of Wednesday, before additional flights announced by El Al and Arkia.
Israeli airlines, for their part, are preparing to absorb some of the demand, and their shares have already jumped on the stock exchange.
El Al said that following numerous inquiries from Israelis abroad seeking to return home on the airline, even if they originally left Israel with another carrier, it would later Wednesday launch a dedicated WhatsApp hotline for booking flights from all its destinations worldwide.
At the same time, the airline is preparing to operate a special flight from Bangkok to Israel in the coming days to help Israelis in Thailand return home on an Israeli carrier.
El Al’s dedicated WhatsApp hotline will operate at 03-9771111.
Arkia is also preparing to increase its operations following the incident and the heightened demand for Israeli airlines.
The carrier operates direct flights to Israel from three destinations in Asia — Bangkok, Hanoi and Phuket — and said it would add flights as needed and in accordance with demand.
It has opened a dedicated WhatsApp hotline at 050-5450045 for passengers seeking to return to Israel from Asia on a direct Arkia flight, even if they left Israel with another airline.
The Israel Airports Authority has also opened a dedicated public information hotline for updates on the incident at 125-508-18-18.
At the same time, Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz renewed his call to allow Israeli airlines to resume flights to Dubai.
“Precisely after today’s incident, the importance of allowing Israeli airlines to return to Dubai has become even clearer,” he said. “For months we have been saying this clearly: Let us fly.”
He said one of the most important and sensitive routes for Israelis should not depend almost entirely on foreign airlines while Israeli carriers remain excluded.
“We are not asking to close the skies to foreign airlines, but to create real balance,” he said. “Foreign airlines alongside Israeli airlines, with competition that allows Israeli passengers to choose whom they want to fly with.”
Berlowitz added that, beyond fares and competition, he believed the issue also carried strategic significance.
“Israeli airlines have security systems, procedures and crews adapted to the Israeli reality,” he said. “On such a central route between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, it is right that they also play a significant role in the operation.”