Israeli airlines delay Dubai and Morocco flights amid security disputes
El Al has pushed back its planned return to Dubai until December 15, while Arkia has suspended service to the UAE and halted ticket sales to Marrakesh. Security disagreements and tighter screening requirements are disrupting plans to resume and expand routes.
Israeli airlines are being forced to delay plans to resume and expand international operations amid security-related disputes and tighter security requirements. El Al has postponed the resumption of flights to Dubai, originally scheduled for November, until December 15, while Arkia has suspended its service to the destination until further notice. Last week, Arkia also halted ticket sales for flights to Marrakesh following a demand from Israeli security officials. The airline is now assessing how it can continue operating the route.
Difficulties surrounding the Dubai route have persisted for months. Since the launch of Operation Roaring Lion, Israeli airlines have been barred from operating flights to the United Arab Emirates over security concerns, even as Flydubai and Etihad continued flying between the two countries through the end of September. The dispute between Israeli security officials and Emirati authorities centers, among other issues, on the installation of Israeli screening equipment and security arrangements at Dubai airport.
An attempted hijacking involving a Flydubai aircraft on September 30 further escalated the crisis, raising questions about security screening for flight crews and the operation of flights by foreign carriers. Following the incident, Flydubai also suspended flights to Israel, prompting authorities to review existing security protocols.
Although El Al and Arkia announced after the incident that they were preparing to resume flights to Dubai, the timetable remains dependent on resolving the outstanding security issues. Israeli security officials have also introduced an additional requirement to standardize security arrangements for all flights bound for Israel and consolidate Flydubai’s flights to Israel in a single, designated area.
The fallout from the incident is also affecting routes to Morocco. Last week, Arkia halted ticket sales for flights to Marrakesh until further notice and began assessing whether it could operate flights for which tickets have already been sold. The airline said that if Israeli carriers are barred from flying to the destination, it will explore operating the flights through commercial partners.
Arkia is not the only airline affected by the new directives. Israir has already suspended flights to Marrakesh, halted ticket sales and frozen plans to expand the route. Sun d’Or, an El Al subsidiary, has also postponed the launch of its Marrakesh service, originally scheduled for November 16, until at least December 15.
