Israel-UAE Flights to Proceed Despite Potential Delays, Ministry Says

Repatriation flights between the UAE and Israel are scheduled to operate today, according to Israel's Ministry of Transport. The ministry confirmed that Israeli airlines will conduct these "rescue flights" to bring back citizens who are in a difficult situation in the United Arab Emirates. Passengers have been warned of possible delays due to additional coordination required with the defense establishment.

These flights will proceed despite earlier reports that UAE authorities might have revoked permission for them. The Ministry of Transport stated that the schedule might be affected by the need to finalize preparations and conduct further coordination with defense officials. "Rescue flights will take place today," the ministry announced.

Air traffic between the two countries was suspended the previous day following an incident involving a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Israeli authorities are investigating the incident, which involved a co-pilot, as a suspected attempted terror attack.

In response to the incident, Emirates, the UAE's main airline, had previously implemented temporary restrictions for passengers traveling to Ben Gurion Airport. They would not be accepted on flights to the UAE from various countries. Emirates also temporarily suspended ticket sales for joint flights to and from Tel Aviv under a code-sharing agreement, effective immediately until further notice. The airline stated it would assist passengers already en route to Tel Aviv via Dubai and offer full refunds to customers with Emirates or flydubai tickets. Passengers were advised to check the Emirates website for updates or contact customer support or their travel agent.

Emirates later clarified that transit passengers might be permitted on flights to Tel Aviv via Dubai, provided it is coordinated with the evacuation flights.