Flydubai Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Flight Cancellations Post-Attack Attempt
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
An Israeli couple has filed a class action lawsuit against Flydubai, accusing the airline of abandoning passengers after a pilot's attempted attack on a flight on September 30, 2026. The lawsuit claims the airline canceled flights and left hundreds stranded, forcing passengers to incur significant expenses to return home. The couple seeks to represent all affected passengers, citing personal damages of NIS 8,677. Flydubai has not yet responded to the lawsuit, but previously emailed passengers about the incident without offering compensation.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- An Israeli couple filed a class action lawsuit against Flydubai for abandoning passengers after a September 30, 2026, flight security incident.
- The lawsuit alleges Flydubai canceled flights and stranded hundreds of passengers, forcing them to pay for alternative travel.
- The plaintiffs claim they incurred NIS 8,677 in expenses after being stranded in Athens.
- Flydubai previously emailed passengers about the incident but did not offer financial compensation.
- The airline's Dubai-Tel Aviv route was suspended until at least October 15 following the security event.
An Israeli couple has filed a request for a class action lawsuit against the airline Flydubai, alleging the company abandoned passengers following an attempted terror attack on one of its planes. The lawsuit, submitted to the Tel Aviv District Court, claims Flydubai engaged in improper conduct and violated the law by canceling flights and suspending its Dubai-Tel Aviv route until at least October 15 following a serious security incident on September 30, 2026. During this incident, a pilot allegedly attempted to hijack and crash a company aircraft.
The plaintiffs assert that Flydubai informed all passengers on its Dubai-Tel Aviv flights of the cancellations and suspension of service, leaving hundreds, if not thousands, of passengers stranded without assistance. The situation was particularly dire for those outside Israel, who faced significant expenses to return home. The couple, who were in Japan en route to Israel, found themselves stranded in Athens after their connecting flight from Dubai, operated by Flydubai via Emirates, was canceled.
They were forced to purchase new tickets from Athens to Israel with Arkia Israeli Airlines and cover their own accommodation, food, and transportation costs in Athens. When they inquired about their onward travel, a travel agency representative reportedly told them, "They canceled and there's nothing to do. Sue them." The couple estimates their personal damages, financial and non-financial, at NIS 8,677.
They argue that Flydubai failed to provide them with an alternative ticket to their final destination in Israel, forcing them to arrange their own travel at their own expense under uncertain conditions. Flydubai has not yet submitted a response to the lawsuit. The couple seeks to represent all Flydubai ticket holders whose flights were canceled due to the security incident.
In a separate communication, 12 days after the incident, Flydubai emailed affected passengers describing the events as "shaking" and expressing relief that passengers reached Israel safely via a flight from Saudi Arabia. However, the email did not mention the hijacking attempt or offer financial compensation, drawing criticism from one passenger who called the airline's delayed and silent response a "certificate of shame."
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