Israel suspends Flydubai flights for six days after mid-air attack
Decision was coordinated with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed as Israel prepares for possible rescue flights by Israeli airlines.
Following the mid-air drama aboard a Flydubai flight, Israel has decided to suspend the airline’s flights to the country for six days. The directive came from the Prime Minister’s Office, and the decision was reached in coordination with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. The two sides agreed that the serious incident could not be ignored and that it needed to be investigated before Flydubai could resume its scheduled flights to Israel.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev had been calling for the suspension of Flydubai flights since this morning, based on a recommendation from the Civil Aviation Authority and concerns that the airline had failed to honor an agreement to assign only pilots holding passports from countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. The Shin Bet, for its part, warned that suspending the flights could create difficulties in Israel’s relations with the UAE, given the importance of tourism and aviation to the ties established under the Abraham Accords.
Israel is operating on the assumption that Israeli airlines will conduct rescue flights to bring home the thousands of Israelis currently in Dubai. The Israeli carriers have not yet been formally approached, but there is confidence that they will step in if necessary, including on short notice, as they did during previous operations involving Iran. The UAE has pledged to allocate takeoff and landing slots to Israeli airlines.
Related articles:
- Flydubai cockpit attack could break deadlock blocking Israeli airlines from Dubai
- “I grabbed the attacker, put him in a chokehold and pulled him out”: Israeli recounts Flydubai cockpit fight
- Israel says Omani co-pilot likely tried to crash Flydubai plane: “An undercover security agent assisted in subduing the pilot”
As previously reported, El Al, Israir, and Arkia have spent months pressing for permission to resume flights to Dubai. Today’s attempted hijacking of a Flydubai aircraft could now become the event that breaks the deadlock and allows Israeli airlines to return to the route.
