October 2, 2026
Air traffic between Dubai and Israel is witnessing widespread disruptions following the decision to suspend Fly Dubai’s flights to Israel for six days, due to the flight FZ1073 incident. On the other hand, the Israeli airlines “El Al” and “Arkia” announced their readiness to resume their direct flights to Dubai next November, subject to obtaining official approvals.
According to a Maariv newspaper report issued on Wednesday evening, El Al is preparing to resume its activity on the Tel Aviv-Dubai line at a rate of at least two flights per day, after an eight-month hiatus, provided that it obtains government approvals. In turn, Arkia confirmed that it had made extensive efforts to remove obstacles to the return of Israeli airlines to Dubai, announcing plans to operate two direct flights daily as soon as the required licenses were completed.
It is noteworthy that Israeli airlines have stopped operating flights to the Emirates since Operation “Lion’s Roar,” following the Israeli General Security Service, “Shin Bet,” tightening protection requirements and extending the ban until the end of this October, pending an agreement with the Emirates regulating security arrangements. During this period, Emirati companies dominated the market, as “Flydubai” operated about 10 daily flights to Dubai, while “Etihad” operated about 6 daily flights to Abu Dhabi.
The announcement by the two Israeli companies came at the end of a day that witnessed dramatic developments, following the landing of a Flydubai plane in Saudi Arabia in the morning, during its flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying about 180 passengers – most of them Israelis – following suspicion that the co-pilot stabbed the captain of the plane and tried to bring it down.
In light of the incident, a special committee was established that included the head of the Civil Aviation Authority, the Director General of the Ministry of Economy, and the National Security Council. To discuss the possibility of withdrawing the company’s license to operate flights to Israel, it has been decided currently to stop “Fly Dubai” flights to Israel for a period of six days.
Flydubai issued a statement saying: “Following the incident related to flight FZ1073 on September 30, and in coordination with the relevant authorities, flydubai flights to and from Israel are suspended while the investigation continues. The safety and well-being of our passengers, crew, operations and operations are our top priority. This temporary suspension will allow the relevant authorities to continue their work and clarify all the facts related to the incident.”
The company added: “We are committed to fully supporting the ongoing investigation, and maintaining the highest safety standards throughout our flight network. We continue to coordinate closely with government authorities, regulators and interested parties at the airport, and will re-evaluate the suspension as additional information becomes available. We apologize to the passengers whose travel plans have been affected, and are working to provide support and alternatives where possible.”
If the investigations lead to the withdrawal of Flydubai’s license due to the aforementioned kidnapping attempt, thousands of Israelis who have booked holidays in Dubai or connecting flights through it will face the risk of being stranded, especially in light of the Israeli companies not yet obtaining official permission to return to this vital route.
