Israel-UAE Rescue Flights Delayed Amid Organizational Hurdles

Rescue flights operated by Israeli airlines from Dubai to Israel were scheduled to commence on Friday, October 2nd, but are expected to be delayed due to organizational and security coordination issues, according to the Ministry of Transportation. The ministry announced early Friday that while flights would begin during the day, their departure times would be postponed because security agencies require additional time to finalize preparations and coordination for flight operations.

The Ministry of Transportation stated it is continuing to work with all relevant parties, both within Israel and abroad, to facilitate the flights as soon as possible. Israeli citizens in Dubai are advised to stay in contact with their airlines for updates and instructions. The announcement followed a last-minute cancellation of landing permits for the rescue flights by the United Arab Emirates, prompting urgent efforts by Israel's security system and the Civil Aviation Authority to resolve the resulting crisis.

An estimated 10,000 Israeli citizens are currently seeking to return to Israel, including those in Dubai and travelers stranded in various Middle Eastern countries such as Thailand and India. The crisis emerged after Fly Dubai suspended its flights to Israel following an attempted hijacking of one of its planes on Wednesday. In response, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich instructed his ministry's senior officials on Thursday evening to immediately allocate all necessary funds to the Ministry of Transportation to finance the rescue flights. The Ministry of Finance is currently developing the professional framework to enable the swift transfer of these funds and ensure the flights can operate without further delay.