Emirati carrier flydubai officially announced the indefinite suspension of all commercial flight operations to and from Israel on Wednesday night, following the severe mid-air terror attempt aboard Flight FZ1073. The operational freeze comes in direct coordination with civil aviation authorities and security establishments in both Israel and the United Arab Emirates as the multi-jurisdiction investigation into the cockpit assault continues.
1+“Following the incident involving Flight FZ1073 on September 30, and in close coordination with the relevant authorities, flydubai flights to and from Israel will be suspended while the investigation remains ongoing,” the airline stated in an official release. “The safety and well-being of our passengers, flight crews, and operations remain our paramount priority. This temporary suspension will allow relevant authorities to proceed with their work and establish all the facts surrounding the incident.”
The carrier added that it is fully committed to supporting the ongoing probe and maintaining the highest safety standards across its global network: “We remain in close coordination with government agencies, aviation regulators, and airport stakeholders, and will review the suspension as additional findings emerge. We sincerely apologize to passengers whose travel itineraries have been disrupted and are actively working to provide support and alternative arrangements wherever possible.”
Alongside the airline’s suspension, Israel’s domestic security agency, the Shin Bet, has stepped in to maintain essential air connectivity. To prevent thousands of travelers and returning Israelis from being stranded in the UAE, the Shin Bet approved the immediate operation of vetted chartered flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai.
The decision follows Wednesday morning’s dramatic hijacking attempt, in which the airliner’s Omani first officer stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the Boeing 737 carrying 174 passengers, including 166 Israeli citizens. The catastrophic plot was thwarted mid-air by the wounded captain, off-duty aviators, and Israeli passengers who breached the cockpit, wrestled the attacker down, and safely diverted the jet to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, before an extraction flight repatriated the travelers to Ben Gurion Airport.
1+For travelers with existing flydubai bookings, scheduled departures from Israel have been canceled. Under the Israeli Aviation Services Law (the “Tibi Law”), affected passengers are entitled to a full monetary refund. However, those needing immediate transit along the Tel Aviv–Dubai corridor will need to buy new tickets on approved chartered flights or alternative carrier routes until the comprehensive intelligence inquiry concludes.