Israel Demands Security Chiefs Attend Dubai Talks for Flight Resumption
Translated & summarized from Israel Hayom by baba
Israel's Transportation Minister Miri Regev has conditioned her attendance at a Dubai meeting on the participation of the Shin Bet chief and other security officials to resolve flight disputes. The UAE is seeking the return of Flydubai to Israel and expanded Etihad flights, while Israel insists on reciprocal operations for its airlines. The core issue involves Israeli security demands for flights to Dubai and Emirati approvals. The aim is to reach a comprehensive agreement to end the ongoing crisis affecting air travel between the two nations.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Transportation Minister Miri Regev demands the Shin Bet chief attend Dubai talks for flight resumption.
- Israel insists on a reciprocal agreement for airlines to operate between Israel and Dubai.
- The UAE seeks the return of Flydubai to Israel and expanded Etihad flights.
- Disagreements over Israeli security requirements for flights to Dubai are the main obstacle.
- A delegation including security and aviation officials is proposed to resolve the crisis.
- The dispute has impacted Israeli airlines' ability to operate regular flights to Dubai.
A diplomatic effort is underway to resolve the ongoing dispute preventing Israeli airlines from resuming regular flights to Dubai, while allowing Dubai's Flydubai to return to Israel.
However, a significant hurdle remains regarding the reciprocal return of Israeli carriers to Dubai. Israeli authorities are insisting on a comprehensive solution that includes both sides, rather than allowing Emirati airlines to operate while Israeli ones are sidelined.
Sources indicate that Transportation Minister Miri Regev has received a formal invitation from Emirati officials for a "round table" discussion in Dubai. The goal is to finalize an agreement that would permit both Flydubai's return to Israel and the resumption of regular flights by Israeli airlines on the Tel Aviv-Dubai route.
Regev has conditioned her attendance on the inclusion of security officials, not just diplomats. She has stipulated that the head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and a professional delegation from the Shin Bet, the National Security Council, and the Civil Aviation Authority, including its director Shmuel Zakai, must participate. This is intended to bring together decision-makers and security and aviation experts from both nations to bridge the gaps preventing a full return to normal flight operations.
The core of the disagreement lies in the Shin Bet's security requirements for Israeli airlines operating in Dubai and the Emirati approvals needed for their implementation. The UAE has expressed opposition to certain Israeli security demands, particularly concerning baggage screening procedures in Dubai, which has complicated the approval process for Israeli flights.
Israel aims to prevent a scenario where Emirati air traffic to Israel expands while Israeli airlines struggle to return to Dubai. The Ministry of Transportation advocates for a mutual arrangement, where Flydubai's return is contingent upon Israeli airlines like El Al, Arkia, and Israir receiving the necessary approvals and conditions to operate. If Regev's conditions regarding the delegation's composition are met, the objective is to reach a comprehensive agreement in Dubai to end the crisis that began after an attempted attack on a Flydubai flight.