Israeli airline El Al says will run flights to return Israelis from Dubai

Israeli airline El Al will fly Israelis home from Dubai after flydubai suspended flights following an incident on a Tel Aviv-bound plane.

Passengers who were on the FlyDubai aircraft are greeted by their friends and family, as they arrive at the Ben Gurion International Airport, in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sep 30, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)

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JERUSALEM: Israeli airline El Al on Thursday (Oct 1) said it would operate special flights to repatriate Israelis in Dubai after UAE airline flydubai suspended its flights to and from Israel a day earlier.

"Starting tomorrow (Friday): El Al will operate special rescue flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv," the company said in a statement.

"The first flight will depart from Tel Aviv in the morning and leave Dubai for Tel Aviv at 11:00, LY974. An additional flight, LY972, will depart Dubai at 13:00," it added.

A spokesperson for the airline told AFP there would be an update once permission was granted for additional flights.

Flydubai announced it was suspending flights to and from Israel on Wednesday, pending an investigation into an altercation on a Tel Aviv-bound flight which was forced to divert.

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