Israel Plans Evacuation Flights for Citizens in UAE Amid Flydubai Security Concerns

Israel is formulating a plan to evacuate its citizens from the United Arab Emirates, following a security incident involving a Flydubai flight. Transportation Minister Miri Regev had requested a temporary suspension of Flydubai flights pending an investigation, which could last up to three days. However, flights have continued.

The Israeli Ministry of Transportation, in collaboration with the Shin Bet and Mossad, is developing measures to secure future Flydubai flights. Concurrently, a plan is underway to charter flights operated by Israeli companies to bring Israelis currently in the UAE back to the country. The Shin Bet has granted provisional approval for approximately 30 chartered flights, which will be Israeli-managed but crewed by foreign nationals, to facilitate the return of Israelis in the coming days until the Flydubai investigation concludes. The primary goal is to prevent any Israelis from becoming stranded in Dubai.

Concerns were raised by Regev, who alleged that Flydubai violated the aviation agreement between Israel and the UAE. This agreement stipulates that only pilots from countries with diplomatic relations with Israel are permitted to land in Israel. The incident involved a Flydubai flight that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, with its co-pilot reportedly being an Omani citizen, and Oman does not have diplomatic ties with Israel.

Regev also urged the Israeli Prime Minister to permit Israeli airlines, including El Al, Israir, and Arkia, to fly to Dubai immediately, provided they undergo Israeli security screening. Conversely, Shin Bet chief David Zini has insisted that the existing security screening in the UAE is insufficient, a stance he has maintained even when previously opposing direct flights to Dubai by Israeli carriers.

Currently, Flydubai is the sole airline operating flights from the UAE to Israel, due to security directives that have prevented Israeli airlines from servicing this route. An Israeli security official indicated that Israeli-Saudi coordination on various issues is ongoing, suggesting that normalization is approaching. However, a solution for the security screening device requested by the Shin Bet for installation in the UAE has not yet been found.