Israelis Stranded in Dubai as Rescue Flights Canceled Amid Landing Permit Dispute

Rescue flights for Israelis stranded in Dubai have been indefinitely postponed due to a dispute over landing permits, leaving many travelers in uncertainty. El Al announced late Tuesday that it was canceling flight LY972 to Tel Aviv, scheduled for October 2nd, citing the revocation of landing permits for Israeli airlines in Dubai, as informed by Israeli authorities. The airline stated it was forced to cancel the flight but would work to resume special flights and bring Israelis home as soon as possible if official approvals were granted. Passengers whose flights were canceled were offered a full refund or a future travel voucher, with El Al attempting to rebook them on alternative flights.

Despite the cancellations, Israel's Ministry of Transportation issued an update stating that an agreement had been reached with relevant parties for Israeli airline flights from Dubai to Israel to commence on Friday, October 2nd. However, the ministry acknowledged that security arrangements and necessary coordination would cause delays in the departure of these repatriation flights. Minister of Transportation Miri Regev indicated that efforts were ongoing with Israeli and international parties to facilitate the flights.

The situation remains unresolved as of Wednesday morning, with negotiations having stalled overnight and expected to resume. The ongoing dispute has left numerous Israelis in Dubai, some of whom had already purchased tickets for the canceled rescue flights, facing significant uncertainty about their return to Israel.