Israeli Airlines to Evacuate Citizens Stranded in Dubai Following Flight Suspension

Israeli airlines are set to begin evacuating Israeli citizens stranded in Dubai as early as tomorrow, following Israel's decision to suspend all Flydubai flights for at least six days. The suspension came after an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai plane, which was en route to Israel carrying over 100 Israelis. The evacuation flights will operate under heightened security measures.

This development follows discussions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed regarding the security incident. The path for Israeli airlines to resume flights to Dubai is also reportedly clearing, with the UAE agreeing to install additional screening machines. This agreement was reached after the Flydubai incident, prompting the Prime Minister's office to announce that Netanyahu had ordered increased security for both Israeli and non-Israeli airlines.

Previously, Israeli airlines, including El Al, Israir, and Arkia, were prohibited from landing in the UAE due to security risks, a ban that was extended by the Shin Bet security agency. This occurred while Emirati airlines Etihad and Flydubai continued to fly to Israel. Israeli airlines expressed anger over this situation, warning of significant financial losses, as they were barred from operating routes that Emirati carriers were still permitted to use.

The flight ban was initially set to last until October and was expected to extend into November. However, the recent security incident and subsequent diplomatic talks appear to have altered this timeline, potentially allowing Israeli airlines to resume flights to the UAE sooner than anticipated.