UAE Revokes Landing Permits, Canceling Israeli Repatriation Flights From Dubai

The permit cancellations stem from an ongoing security dispute between Israel's Shin Bet security agency and Dubai authorities over stringent security and baggage handling requirements demanded by Israel at Dubai Airport. The crisis originally began following an attempted terror attack and hijacking of a Flydubai flight, which prompted investigations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and New Zealand. In response to the incident, Flydubai had suspended its flights to Israel, and Emirates halted its codeshare agreement on routes to Tel Aviv.

Arkia stated that its efforts to work with relevant governmental and professional bodies to reinstate the permits were unsuccessful. The airline is offering affected passengers full refunds, along with a 10% discount on tickets from alternative European destinations for those who can travel independently. Prior to the cancellations, Transportation Minister Miri Regev had assured that return flights would continue until Thursday, with over 7,400 passengers having already returned to Israel by Tuesday afternoon.

While Israeli airlines had planned to resume regular routes to Dubai next month, the current dispute jeopardizes these plans. Minister Regev has stipulated that the return of Israeli flights to the Emirates is a condition for allowing Flydubai to resume its service to Israel. A meeting between representatives of the Shin Bet, Mossad, and their Emirati counterparts is scheduled for next week to address the security issues.