Following the suspension of flydubai services to Israel, Israeli airlines are stepping in to assist citizens stranded in the United Arab Emirates. El Al, Arkia, and Israir will commence repatriation flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv starting Friday. This move comes after an incident on a flydubai flight, where a copilot allegedly attacked the pilot, resulting in an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The incident is currently under investigation by UAE authorities.
The Israeli carriers will operate flights from Tel Aviv to Dubai empty, returning with passengers who were initially scheduled to fly back via flydubai or Emirates. To support these efforts, the Israeli government will compensate the airlines for the outbound flights without passengers. El Al is set to operate two flights on Friday, Arkia will conduct one, and Israir is preparing additional services. Ticket prices for these one-way flights are set at $249 for El Al, $279 for Arkia, and $299 for Israir, with a directive to maintain reasonable pricing.
In addition to these measures, Israel’s Transportation Ministry has requested that Etihad Airways provide more flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv to aid in bringing stranded Israelis back home. For those unable to return via Dubai, alternative routes are being offered through European cities and nearby hubs such as Athens and Larnaca. However, some travelers may need to arrange further connections to reach Israel.