UAE Aviation Authority Successfully Rescues 7,500 Stranded Passengers Following Flydubai Tel Aviv Flight Suspension

The General Civil Aviation Authority of the UAE has finalized the relocation of approximately 7,500 stranded travellers to Tel Aviv following the temporary grounding of flydubai services to the Israeli destination.

Hamad Al Shamsi, the UAE's Attorney General, stated that ongoing investigations are actively working to determine the complete context, underlying motives, and any potential connections surrounding flight FZ1073 from last Wednesday. That particular flight was forced to divert and land in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after the pilot faced an assault by his co-pilot in what authorities described as an "attempted terrorist attack."

According to the GCAA, a total of 37 flights departed from Dubai International Airport and arrived at Ben Gurion Airport between Friday, October 2, and Monday, October 5, successfully transporting 7,479 passengers.

To mitigate travel disruptions resulting from the suspension of flydubai's regular schedule, aviation officials issued special permits enabling Israeli carriers to execute flights to Dubai. These extra operations supplemented the consistent services provided by Etihad Airways, which maintained its regular flight schedule to Tel Aviv throughout the entire crisis.

The GCAA verified that coordination efforts to repatriate all stranded and affected passengers have concluded successfully, ensuring every impacted traveller reached their intended destination. Furthermore, the authority announced that Etihad Airways will persist in running its scheduled flights to Tel Aviv, providing expanded travel alternatives for passengers while flydubai's regular route remains suspended.