El Al's Dubai rescue flights cancelled; Arkia and Israir say they will fly
El Al cancelled both Friday (Oct. 2) Dubai rescue flights after the UAE withdrew landing approval. About 10,000 Israelis are stranded over Sukkot. El Al's Sunday to Thursday flights are fully booked.
Arkia says it holds approval and will operate a flight this evening. Israir has a green light from the UAE but was still awaiting final confirmation, per the Times of Israel.
For advisors: Clients stuck in Dubai or connecting through it should be moved to Arkia or Israir, and the situation can change by the hour, so confirm each departure before promising it. Expect one-bag limits and rescue fares of $249 to $299.
flydubai and Emirates pause Tel Aviv; Israeli carriers want permanent Dubai routes
flydubai has suspended Tel Aviv flights during the investigation. Emirates has suspended its codeshare and is not accepting Tel Aviv-bound passengers. That removes a major Gulf connecting option for Israel itineraries.
El Al, Arkia and Israir have asked to resume Dubai flights, which Israeli authorities halted in February. El Al plans 2+ daily flights from November, Arkia 2 daily, and Israir up to 10 weekly.
For advisors: Build contingencies for any itinerary routed through the Gulf. Direct Israeli-carrier capacity to Dubai may grow if the UAE approves the requests, but nothing is confirmed yet.
FZ1073 inquiry puts crew screening and aviation agreements in play
Netanyahu has called the attempted crash a potential 9/11-scale disaster and is investigating whether the Omani co-pilot was sent. He has said whoever sent him will pay a steep price. The Israeli ambassador to the UAE has said the incident did not weaken Israel-Emirati relations, and wants pilot screening and nationality rules tightened.
The Jerusalem Post reports that the aviation agreement does not require crew from normalized countries, which contradicts Transportation Ministry claims. The Indian captain, who was stabbed, says he opened the cockpit door so passengers could overpower the co-pilot.
For advisors: Any change to crew or nationality rules could affect which foreign carriers may serve Israel. Client confidence and insurance may also be affected.
Iran talks stall as Israeli official flags home-front risk
A senior Israeli defense official says Iran is weighing options against the US and Israel as nuclear talks stall, and that Israel has had many nights of heightened alert. He cited possible attacks on the home front, including from Hezbollah. A new US naval blockade has begun.
Israeli airlines have not flown to the UAE since the Iran war began in February, which is the background to the current Dubai disruption.
For advisors: Keep clients' flexible-booking and cancellation terms in view, and watch for advisory changes. No advisory change was reported in today's items.
Israelis airlifted from Tigray as outbound disruptions pile up
About 45 Israelis were stuck in Lalibela, Ethiopia, after fighting between the TPLF and the Ethiopian government closed airports. A second group of about 20 was airlifted out by helicopter.
This matters little for inbound Israel business, but it is another case of Israeli outbound travelers needing rescue while airline resources are already stretched by the Dubai situation.