El Al, Israel’s national airline, has faced a setback in its efforts to repatriate Israelis stranded in Dubai. The airline had planned two special flights to bring citizens home but was forced to cancel them after the United Arab Emirates authorities did not grant the necessary landing permissions. This development follows the suspension of flydubai’s services between Dubai and Tel Aviv due to an onboard incident.
The cancelled flights were a response to the disruptions caused by an incident on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, where the co-pilot allegedly attacked the pilot mid-flight. Passengers reportedly intervened to restrain the co-pilot, allowing other pilots to divert the plane safely to Saudi Arabia. In the wake of this incident, El Al had arranged the special flights to assist Israelis stuck in Dubai during the busy Sukkot holiday period, offering one-way tickets at a fixed rate.
Despite the setback with the special flights, El Al has confirmed that its regular services from Dubai to Tel Aviv are set to resume on Sunday. However, due to high demand, available seats for the coming week are already heavily booked.
El Al has expressed readiness to operate the repatriation flights as soon as the required approvals and security arrangements are finalized. The airline remains committed to facilitating the return of Israeli citizens as soon as possible, pending the resolution of the current diplomatic and logistical challenges.