El Al’s special rescue flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv were briefly blocked after the United Arab Emirates withdrew landing approval, then cleared to proceed following urgent talks. The Israeli flag carrier was preparing to repatriate stranded passengers from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport on Friday, with the operation subject to last-minute security coordination and slot approval.
The disruption followed the suspension of flydubai services to and from Israel after a security incident, which left Israeli travellers in the UAE needing alternative return capacity. Israeli carriers were asked to step in with emergency flights, and El Al published a special schedule for the Dubai operation, including hand-luggage-only travel and flat-rate fares. Early reports suggested the UAE had revoked the permits overnight, but the position was reversed by Friday morning after coordination between El Al, Israeli authorities and UAE officials.
The episode underlined how quickly air links between Israel and the Gulf can be affected by security and diplomatic decisions. It also highlighted the operational complexity of running emergency repatriation services in Dubai, where final clearances, aircraft positioning and passenger handling all had to be aligned before the flights could depart.