Israel-UAE Flights Canceled Amid Security Concerns After Fly Dubai Incident
Translated & summarized from Haaretz by baba
Israeli airlines Israir and El Al had their flights from Dubai canceled today due to revoked landing slots from the UAE. The incident has raised security concerns, leading to investigations and a broader review of aviation security policies, with over 1,200 foreign airline crew members from non-diplomatic countries entering Israel this year.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israeli airlines Israir and El Al had their Dubai flights canceled today due to revoked landing slots.
- Omani co-pilot Humam al-Humami is under investigation in the UAE with Shin Bet participation.
- Repatriation flights were planned to continue until Thursday, according to Transportation Minister Miri Regev.
- Over 1,240 foreign airline crew members from countries without diplomatic ties with Israel entered the country this year.
- Fly Dubai had previously canceled all flights on the Dubai-Tel Aviv route until further notice.
Israeli airlines Israir and El Al received notification from the UAE that their landing and takeoff slots for flights scheduled for today from Dubai have been canceled. Both airlines informed their passengers of the cancellations. Arkia stated it had not yet received official notification and its flight was still scheduled for this evening. Earlier today, Israel's Minister of Transportation Miri Regev announced that repatriation flights would continue until Thursday. According to the Ministry of Transportation, as of noon today, 7,415 passengers had returned to Israel via Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi and through repatriation flights from Dubai operated by Israeli carriers.
The cancellations come in the wake of an attempted attack on a Fly Dubai flight last week. The Omani co-pilot, Humam al-Humami, was questioned in the UAE this week, with Shin Bet officials also participating in the investigation. It was also published that al-Humami had entered Israel in June and intended to become a martyr then, seeking revenge against Israel for the war in Gaza.
Two days after the attempted attack, Fly Dubai announced the suspension of all flights on the Dubai-Tel Aviv route until further notice. A discussion in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee revealed a broader security lapse in Israeli aviation policy. At least 1,240 crew members from foreign airlines originating from countries with which Israel has no diplomatic relations have entered the country since the beginning of the year. The committee was informed that among these crew members were citizens from Syria, Lebanon, and Oman, and it is being investigated whether any Iranian citizens were also present.
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