Dubai: Emirates has further extended the suspension of flights to and from Israel’s capital Tel Aviv until October 31.
Emirates, which operates three daily flights to Tel Aviv, had initially canceled its operations on October 12 due to security concerns following the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas on October 7. “We are closely monitoring the situation in Israel and are in close contact with the relevant authorities. authorities,” an Emirates spokesperson said. “The safety of our customers, crew and stakeholders is our number one priority.”
Customers with subsequent connections to Tel Aviv on canceled Emirates flights will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice, the airline said. During the ongoing conflict, air operations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel have been suspended or significantly reduced.
Etihad continues to operate flights to Israel, although with fewer daily services. flydubai has streamlined its operations to Tel Aviv, reducing daily flights from four to two.
Emirates’ first flight to Tel Aviv took off in June 2022 with 335 passengers from Dubai International Airport. This flight marked the start of a daily service between the two cities following the signing of the Abraham Accords.
Dubai welcomed 209,000 visitors from Israel, making it the 10th largest outbound market for inbound tourism until summer 2023. In Abu Dhabi, Israel became the 11th largest outbound market during the same period, with 9,000 people registering in their hotels.
