3rd October 2026 – (Tel Aviv) El Al said on 2nd October it was forced to cancel two special services to Dubai after the United Arab Emirates withdrew landing approval, halting a plan to repatriate Israeli citizens stranded in the city and elsewhere in Asia. The airline identified the affected flights as LY974‑1 and LY972, adding that it intends to operate substitute services as soon as permissions are restored. On the same day, departures boards at Ben Gurion Airport showed all Israel–Dubai services cancelled, according to local reports.
El Al’s announcement followed hours of consultations between senior Israeli and Emirati officials that failed to yield a final landing agreement for Israeli carriers, Israeli media reported. Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich authorised funding to support the rescue operation and the Transport Ministry had initially expected departures on Friday, though preparations and approvals appeared to delay the plan. Seats on services scheduled for next week were reported to be sold out.
The disruption stems from a 30th September incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, during which the captain was stabbed by his co‑pilot and the aircraft diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. Flydubai has paused services and opened an investigation. Images circulated after the emergency landing appeared to show damage to the aircraft’s vertical‑tail rudder. Authorities and airlines across the region are continuing to assess security and operational implications as inquiries proceed.
