Dubai-Tel Aviv flights stay grounded as security standoff drags on

Three weeks after a September 30 attack on a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, all scheduled services between Dubai and Tel Aviv remain suspended. The suspension stems from a disagreement between Israeli and Emirati authorities over security measures, with Israel seeking to place its own security personnel and install X-ray screening at Dubai airport. flydubai cancelled its ten daily flights through at least November 15 and has closed bookings for the remainder of the year, while Israeli airlines that had planned to resume Dubai routes in November are also not operating.

Etihad Airways now operates the only UAE-Israel link, expanding its Abu Dhabi-Tel Aviv flights to six daily services. The prolonged ban has pushed ticket prices higher for Israeli travelers and forced rerouting through other cities. Critics, including Ziontours CEO Mark Feldman, blame the Israeli Transportation Ministry for failing to create a mechanism to restore flydubai operations.