Flydubai Suspended for Six Days Following Security Incident; Israeli Airlines to Resume Flights

Flydubai's operations between Dubai and Israel will be suspended for six days starting Thursday morning, following a "dramatic incident" on one of its flights. Israeli airlines will operate rescue flights in its place under heightened security. The decision, made by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a conversation with the ruler of the United Arab Emirates, who directed that landing slots be allocated to Israeli carriers.

In parallel, the UAE agreed to Israeli security demands in the wake of the incident, paving the way for Israeli airlines to return to the route. El Al announced it is preparing to resume its Tel Aviv-Dubai service in November, with at least two daily flights, pending necessary approvals. Arkia and Israir are also preparing to restart their flights to the UAE.

Israeli airlines had been barred from flying to the UAE for eight months, since Operation "Lion's Roar," until security issues were resolved. During this period, Flydubai and Etihad were the sole operators on the route, experiencing significant passenger growth. Following the recent Flydubai incident and the subsequent agreements, Israeli airlines are expected to resume service, initially with security-escorted rescue flights.