Rescue flights from Dubai were due to begin Friday, but a new crisis is threatening the operation after authorities in the United Arab Emirates began reconsidering the approval already granted for the flights.
Israel’s Transportation Ministry and Shin Bet launched a marathon of urgent consultations Thursday evening as the Emiratis weighed whether to reverse their decision. No final cancellation order has yet been issued, and Transportation Ministry officials remain optimistic that the crisis will be resolved.
Earlier, El Al announced that, subject to security approval, it would begin operating rescue flights Friday to bring Israelis stranded in Dubai back home.
Sales for the first two flights opened Thursday evening, and all available tickets sold out on the airline’s website within about five minutes. Tickets were sold at a uniform price of $249 under the airline’s Light fare.
Arkia also opened sales for its rescue flights, which unlike El Al’s service are scheduled to operate on Saturday as well.
In any case, passengers will not be permitted to bring trolley bags or checked luggage aboard the rescue flights
El Al’s first flight will depart Dubai for Tel Aviv at 11 a.m. Friday, with a second flight scheduled to leave at 1 p.m. The aircraft will fly from Tel Aviv to Dubai without passengers.
Under instructions from the authorities, passengers on the rescue flights will be allowed to board with only one bag. Checked luggage will be sent separately to Israel on cargo flights and returned to passengers after arrival.
Arkia said it would operate special flights beginning Friday and over the following days, with fares starting at $279 per passenger.
The same baggage restriction will apply to Arkia passengers, with checked luggage transported separately to Israel. The airlines stressed that schedules could change depending on instructions from security authorities and regulators.
Arkia’s first flight is scheduled to depart Dubai at 7:10 p.m. local time Friday, with its final currently scheduled rescue flight leaving Tuesday at 9:10 p.m. Israir also said earlier Thursday that it was preparing to operate two rescue flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv as early as Friday, subject to receiving the necessary approvals.
Initially, tickets will be sold only for travel from Dubai to Israel at a price of $299 one way. Israir is also preparing to resume regular Tel Aviv-Dubai-Tel Aviv service at a frequency of eight to 10 flights a week, again subject to regulatory and security approval.
(Photo: Yair Sagi)
The rescue operation follows Wednesday’s attempted attack aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Israel. According to Israel’s assessment, the Omani co-pilot attacked and stabbed the Indian captain during the flight in an attempt to seize control of the aircraft.
Crew members and Israeli passengers intervened and overpowered the suspected attacker, and the plane ultimately made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. About 180 passengers and crew members were aboard. The passengers were later flown to Israel on another Flydubai aircraft.
Following the incident, Flydubai suspended flights to and from Israel for six days, leaving hundreds of Israelis in the UAE without their scheduled return flights.
Emirates, Flydubai’s sister airline, also immediately suspended its codeshare agreement with Flydubai on routes to and from Israel until further notice. Emirates said passengers whose final destination is Tel Aviv would not currently be permitted to board its flights to Dubai for onward connections to Israel.
With travel options from the UAE to Israel sharply reduced, Israel’s Transportation Ministry also contacted Etihad Airways and asked it to increase the number of flights from Abu Dhabi to Ben Gurion Airport.
First published: 18:55, 10.01.26