Dubai-based airline Flydubai canceled all flights to Israel on Saturday, citing ongoing security concerns following an Israeli strike in Iran. The airline announced it would resume flights tomorrow, barring any last-minute changes.
Nearly 1,500 passengers, including families returning from Sukkot vacations and tourists evacuating Sri Lanka due to terrorism warnings, are currently stranded in Dubai. Seats on flights with alternative airlines, mainly Israeli carriers, are fully booked and priced steeply—Israir tickets, for instance, cost around $500 one way.
Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi's national carrier, continues operating flights to Israel but has implemented adjustments. Passengers scheduled to fly to Israel on a night flight reported a delay of over nine hours, with the plane departing only in the morning. One passenger recounted, “They didn’t offer hotel accommodations. We received Burger King vouchers and had to sleep on benches.”
An Etihad spokesperson said, “The Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi route is operating as usual. However, as part of an effort to maintain air service, we have combined night and afternoon flights into a single daily flight until November 11.”
Many foreign airlines had already suspended flights to Israel even before the recent strike. Bulgaria Air announced Friday it would halt flights to Israel until December 22, following a brief resumption last week. Air Seychelles also suspended flights to Israel, with service paused until January 7, 2025.
British Airways stated earlier this week it would not resume flights to Israel before April 2025. Israir, in response, plans to operate four to five weekly flights from Tel Aviv to London Luton Airport starting November 17, with fares starting at $300 one way.
In contrast, Greek carrier Blue Bird Airways, Israeli-owned, has resumed flights to Israel. The airline noted, “Following extensive discussions with Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority, which supervises the company, the authority approved the resumption of operations, convinced of flight safety. Blue Bird flights to Israel will be subject to restrictions on flight frequency and operating hours.”
Blue Bird also launched a special $59 one-way fare for the coming week to destinations including Larnaca, Athens, Crete, Vienna, Sofia, Budapest, Prague, and Barcelona.
Additionally, Spain’s Air Europa has resumed its Tel Aviv-Madrid flights.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: