UAE Threatens to Cancel Israeli Flights Over Unusual Luggage Demand

Flights operated by Israeli airlines Israir and Arkia to and from Dubai were on the verge of cancellation just before departure due to an unexpected demand from the United Arab Emirates. After initially revoking all approvals overnight, the UAE granted permission for Israeli planes to land, but with a new stipulation: Israeli carriers must send additional cargo planes solely for passenger luggage. Arkia had planned two flights, one for Friday and another for Saturday, while Israir was awaiting further approvals for its planned flights. El Al had already canceled its scheduled rescue flights for the day.

The renewed approvals came after hours of intense negotiations between senior Israeli and Emirati officials. Earlier, all landing permits for Israeli airlines in Dubai had been canceled, prompting El Al to officially announce the cancellation of its rescue flights. The first El Al flight was supposed to depart from Israel to Dubai but remained on the ground due to the lack of Emirati authorization.

Israel criticized the UAE's actions, claiming that approvals had been granted and then rescinded, creating difficulties for Israeli security officials. "We don't understand what they want. They suddenly answer and then disappear," sources in Israel stated. Despite initial optimism and an announcement from the Ministry of Transportation that rescue flights were expected to depart, final approvals were not secured, forcing airlines to wait.

Earlier, Emirates had announced that passengers traveling to Israel would not be allowed to board its flights to Dubai from other global destinations, effectively preventing Israelis from continuing their journeys to Tel Aviv via Dubai. This decision caused significant disruption, particularly for Israelis in Thailand. Following the controversy, the Ministry of Transportation reached an agreement with Emirates that the airline would resume its Dubai-Israel flights once Israeli carriers restarted direct services.

In a further complication, the UAE had previously tightened conditions for the return flights, initially stating that passengers would not be allowed to bring luggage. Late in the evening, they canceled landing permits for the rescue flights altogether. Negotiations continued through the night, with the Ministry of Transportation expressing hope for flights to commence the next day. Ultimately, Arkia and Israir received the green light to operate their flights.