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The first Israeli flight arranged to repatriate citizens stranded in the United Arab Emirates departed Dubai late Friday, according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN.
The “Arkia” flight carried Israeli passengers who had been unable to leave the UAE following what KAN described as an attempted hijacking of a “Flydubai” aircraft. Accounts of the incident and its motive have differed, and an official investigation is underway.
Repatriation flights authorised
Israeli security authorities authorised Israeli airlines on Thursday to operate flights from Dubai to bring stranded passengers home. The number of people affected was not specified.
During the initial phase, passengers will not be allowed to place luggage in the aircraft hold because a dedicated security system is not yet available, KAN reported.
Investigation into cockpit incident
A source familiar with air traffic between Israel and the UAE told KAN that Emirati authorities were in contact with their Israeli counterparts to prevent the incident from escalating into a wider crisis that could lead to a prolonged suspension of flights.
“Flydubai” said on Friday that an official investigation should be allowed to establish the facts surrounding Wednesday’s incident. Flight FZ1073 was involved in an incident inside the cockpit, the airline said.
Earlier on Friday, “El Al” said it had cancelled planned evacuation flights from Dubai after the UAE withdrew landing permission previously granted to Israeli carriers.
“Flydubai” temporarily suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv after the incident. The airline said the pause would allow authorities to continue their investigation and determine the full circumstances, adding that passenger, crew and operational safety remained its priority.
