Israeli airlines began special repatriation flights from Dubai on Friday to bring stranded passengers back to Israel after flydubai suspended its Israel service following a security incident on a Tel Aviv-bound flight. The operation centred on Dubai International Airport and Ben Gurion Airport, with El Al, Arkia and Israir among the carriers deployed to restore short-term capacity on the disrupted route.
The flights followed the temporary halt of flydubai services after an onboard incident involving flight FZ1073, which diverted and landed safely in Saudi Arabia. Israeli and Emirati authorities coordinated the response, while final security approvals still created the risk of last-minute delays for some departures. El Al prepared special rescue flights with a one-way fare of about $249 and hand luggage only, as the immediate priority shifted to moving stranded travellers home.
Coverage on Friday indicated that Arkia and Israir had received permission to operate repatriation services, while El Al continued working through the approval process for its own rescue flights. Estimates of the number of Israelis affected varied widely, with reports citing more than 10,000 stranded travellers in some cases and at least 1,800 directly tied to the suspension in others.