UAE Approves Israeli Rescue Flights Amidst Dubai Layover Uncertainty
Translated & summarized from Kan News by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- UAE approves Israeli rescue flights after negotiations.
- New UAE demand requires luggage on separate cargo plane.
- Flydubai suspends flights to Israel until October 15.
- El Al had previously canceled rescue flights to Dubai.
- Israir and Arkia confirm receiving flight approvals.
Sources involved in the discussions confirmed on Friday that the United Arab Emirates has granted approval for Israeli airlines to operate rescue flights to bring stranded Israelis home. Following lengthy negotiations, agreements were reached, and the flights were expected to depart on Friday. However, the UAE has imposed a new requirement: all luggage must be transported on a separate cargo plane accompanying the passenger aircraft, a demand that could lead to further delays.
This development comes as Flydubai announced it would not resume flights to Israel until at least October 15, citing the ongoing investigation into an attempted plane hijacking. The Emirati airline had previously suspended its flights to and from Israel due to this investigation.
The uncertainty surrounding the rescue flights also follows an earlier announcement by El Al that it was canceling its own rescue flights to Dubai after the UAE reportedly rescinded its consent for Israeli planes to land. These flights were intended to repatriate Israelis stranded in the Emirates due to the disruption caused by the Flydubai incident.
Israir confirmed it received the necessary approvals from Dubai Airport for its rescue flight, though the flight was not yet available for booking. The airline stated it is preparing for an additional flight from Dubai on Saturday evening. Arkia also confirmed receiving approvals and is working to operate three extra flights over the weekend beyond its scheduled services.
Earlier, Arkia CEO Oz Berlovich had stated that the Emirates were not approving flights "until further notice," prompting Arkia to contact relevant security officials. The previous day, security officials had authorized Israeli airlines to operate flights to bring Israeli passengers back from Dubai starting Friday, with initial limitations on checked baggage due to security infrastructure. Flydubai's statement cited passenger and crew safety as paramount, with the temporary suspension allowing authorities to investigate the incident.
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