The United Arab Emirates has unilaterally cancelled all landing and takeoff permits for Israeli airlines' rescue flights from Dubai, Ynet reported Tuesday evening.
The decision has caused major disruptions to flight schedules and led to the suspension of some flights. The move came without warning and left hundreds of Israelis seeking to return from the Gulf without an immediate solution.
Israir informed its passengers that due to the developments it must wait for clarification, and will provide a final answer regarding the fate of the flights tomorrow at 10 a.m. Meanwhile, El Al announced the complete cancellation of its flight scheduled for tomorrow, while Arkia has not yet issued an official cancellation notice and continues to monitor the situation on the ground.
The cancellation of flight permits has raised concern among Israeli passengers in the country, who are trying to find alternative ways to return home amid the complex situation and uncertainty surrounding the resumption of Israeli airline operations in UAE airspace.
According to a source involved in the details, quoted in Yisrael Hayom, the professional assessment in the Emirates is that the urgent need for these flights has decreased significantly, since most of the Israelis who were stranded in the country have already managed to return home. From the Emirati side, the approval for Israeli airlines to enter Dubai was not intended to become a permanent arrangement, but rather served as a temporary emergency solution designed to address the crisis that erupted following the suspension of Fly Dubai flights.
Yisrael Hayom also reported that behind the decision lies a professional and diplomatic dispute over the security protocol established for the flights. The source noted that the authorities in the Emirates are unwilling to continue operating the flights under the current security arrangement, in which hundreds of suitcases belonging to returning passengers are left behind on the ground and are not loaded onto the aircraft with their owners.
This state of affairs leaves passengers who were supposed to leave Dubai in complete uncertainty, while Israeli airlines continue to try to obtain the necessary permits from local authorities to operate the routes.
Despite the tension and difficulties on the ground, it has been learned that senior political and security officials are involved, including officials from the Mossad, working in contacts behind the scenes to resolve the crisis. According to sources involved in the details, there is cautious optimism in Israel at this stage regarding the possibility of reaching understandings with the UAE government, which could lead to the restoration of the remaining flight permits, although as of now the permits have not yet been officially restored.
