First Israeli Flight to Depart UAE After Security Obstacles Cleared

Earlier, Emirati authorities had imposed a requirement that a cargo plane accompany every passenger flight to Israel, tasked with carrying passengers' luggage. This issue has now been resolved, allowing the Israeli aircraft to prepare for takeoff.

Arkia had previously announced a delay to an empty flight intended to bring Israelis back from Dubai after the attempted downing of a Flydubai flight. The delay stemmed from the UAE's demand for a separate cargo plane to transport passenger luggage, a procedure Arkia agreed to by sending an additional aircraft. However, the UAE insisted this protocol apply to all upcoming flights, a requirement that now appears to have been dropped.

In parallel, Flydubai announced an extension of its flight suspension to Israel until October 15, following its prior announcement. Etihad Airways will operate two additional flights from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv on Tuesday to assist in repatriating passengers.

A source close to the Emirati government criticized Israel, stating that Israel is "exploiting the incident for political purposes" and delaying the return of Flydubai flights. The source argued that Israel is using the term "rescue flights" as if a war is ongoing, which they contend is not the case. The source suggested that Israeli elections are influencing the situation, rather than logical resolution, and questioned why Flydubai flights cannot operate under the same protocols as Etihad's, which has been running eight flights to Abu Dhabi since Sunday.

The Emirati source also commented on the investigation into the Omani pilot involved in the incident, noting that the UAE is conducting its own parallel investigation and cooperating to resolve the crisis, while accusing Israel of delaying and creating difficulties. They stated that the UAE is prepared to enhance security procedures and screen crews. The source acknowledged a "malfunction" but felt Israel did not grasp the implications of the incident for the UAE and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to link the incident to Iran for political gain ahead of elections.