The United Arab Emirates has reportedly revoked the landing permits granted to Israeli airlines following the September 30 Flydubai attack. According to the Times of Israel, the decision was made on Wednesday; Arkia, El Al and Israir suspended their Dubai-Tel Aviv flights. The companies announced that the permits were suspended on Tuesday. Approximately 10 thousand Israelis are reported to be stranded in BAE; those wishing to return must use Etihad Airways and Emirates. The Tel Aviv administration expected the return flights to be completed today.
In the attack, co-pilot Hemmam el-Hammami attacked captain Smit Machchhar with an emergency axe aboard flight 1073, and the aircraft lost 14 thousand feet of altitude in a short time. Following the intervention of the passengers, the plane landed in Tabuk. While Israel claims that the pilot intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport, Shin Bet officials also joined the investigation.
According to Israel, at least 7 thousand 415 passengers have returned; BAE had announced that 7 thousand 479 passengers were transported on 37 flights between October 2 and 5. BAE has not made a statement regarding the cancellation decision.
Why it matters
The decision effectively leaves passenger traffic between the two countries to a monopoly of BAE carriers; for those using this route, Israeli airlines are no longer an option. Since the duration and grounds of the cancellation have not been officially announced, it is unclear whether this is a temporary security measure or a longer-term diplomatic step. Israel’s claim that the pilot intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion and Shin Bet’s involvement in the investigation show that the incident is being treated as an aviation security matter rather than an isolated attack, raising the question of how flight crews are vetted. The discrepancy between the passenger figures announced by the two sides also indicates that the evacuation picture has not yet become clear. BAE’s silence leaves the question of whether the permits will be reinstated unanswered for now.
Background
BAE is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: in the past 90 days we published a story in which this name appeared; that article is dated September 8, 2026.