Following the suspension of flydubai flights to Israel, Israeli airlines are stepping in to repatriate citizens stranded in the United Arab Emirates. The suspension came after an incident involving a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, where the copilot allegedly attacked the pilot, prompting an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The UAE authorities are currently investigating the matter.
In response, Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia, and Israir will operate special flights from Dubai starting Friday. These flights will run from Tel Aviv to Dubai without passengers and return with Israelis who were originally scheduled to fly back via flydubai or Emirates connections. The Israeli government has agreed to compensate the airlines for the outbound flights that will be operating without passengers.
El Al is scheduled to operate two flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Friday, while Arkia plans one flight and Israir is also preparing additional services. Ticket prices have been set at $249 for El Al, $279 for Arkia, and $299 for Israir, and the airlines have been instructed to keep pricing reasonable.
In addition to these measures, Israel’s Transportation Ministry has requested more flights from Etihad Airways between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv to assist in bringing home stranded passengers. For those unable to return via Dubai, alternative routes are being offered through European cities and nearby hubs like Athens and Larnaca. However, some travelers may need to arrange separate onward flights to reach Israel.