Israeli airlines mount rescue flights after Flydubai scare

Israeli airlines are rolling out emergency rescue flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv after an alleged attempted hijacking on a Flydubai service led to the suspension of regular routes and left hundreds of travelers stranded in the United Arab Emirates.

Rescue operations begin after dramatic midair incident

According to published coverage, the disruption began on September 30, 2026, when Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, following a violent struggle in the cockpit. Investigations described in international reports indicate that the Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed the Indian captain and tried to seize control of the Boeing 737 before passengers and other crew intervened and stabilized the jet.

Reports from international and Israeli outlets state that the aircraft signaled multiple emergency codes and descended sharply before control was regained and the flight diverted to Tabuk. All 182 people on board were reported safe, but the incident rapidly reverberated across the busy air corridor linking Dubai and Tel Aviv.

Following the emergency landing and as details of the apparent hijacking attempt emerged, Flydubai suspended its Israel routes while Emirati prosecutors and aviation regulators in several countries opened investigations into the incident. That abrupt halt left many passengers who had planned to return to Israel on the low-cost carrier stuck in Dubai and at other points along the route.

El Al and Israir step in with special flights

Publicly available information from Israeli media indicates that national carrier El Al has put in place a special rescue schedule to bring home Israelis who had been due to fly with Flydubai. The airline announced that it would operate additional Dubai–Tel Aviv sectors over the coming days, routing empty aircraft to the UAE and returning with stranded passengers whose original tickets were rendered unusable by the suspension.

Israeli airline Israir is also reported to be coordinating rescue flights from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport, supplementing El Al’s operation and increasing capacity on the route. Local travel industry reports suggest that the two carriers are working in tandem with Israel’s Transportation Ministry to prioritize travelers who have been waiting the longest, as well as families and those with urgent medical or business needs.

According to one detailed account in the Israeli press, El Al’s plan includes government-backed reimbursement to cover the cost of flying aircraft empty into Dubai before returning with passengers. That arrangement is described as a way to ensure that stranded travelers can be repatriated quickly despite the extra expense of operating unscheduled services on short notice.

Government coordination and expected delays

Information released through Israeli news outlets on October 2 indicates that the Transportation Ministry has formally confirmed the start of the rescue operation. Statements cited in local coverage say that flights run by Israeli airlines between Dubai and Israel are due to begin throughout the day on Friday, October 2, subject to operational and security clearances at both ends of the route.

However, travelers are being advised through public reporting to expect delays and last-minute schedule changes. Logistical constraints at Dubai International Airport, the need to position aircraft from Israel, and heightened security procedures following the attempted hijacking have all contributed to a complex operating environment for the rescue carriers.

Some coverage notes that passengers are being instructed to stay in close contact with their airlines or travel agents and to monitor updates from Israeli authorities regarding departure times and check-in procedures. With Flydubai flights on hold, terminal allocations and gate assignments in Dubai are also being adjusted to accommodate the extra Israeli-operated services.

Impact on the Dubai–Tel Aviv travel corridor

The attempted hijacking and subsequent suspension of Flydubai’s Israel services have had an immediate impact on one of the region’s busiest short-haul routes. Since the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, the Dubai–Tel Aviv corridor has developed into a key link for tourism, business travel, and onward connections to Asia and Europe.

Flydubai, as a low-cost carrier with a multiple-times-daily schedule, had become a popular option for leisure travelers and expatriate workers, often undercutting the fares of full-service rivals. The pause in its operations has removed significant capacity from the market, concentrating traffic onto Israeli airlines and any remaining services operated under codeshare or alternative arrangements.

Analysts cited in regional coverage suggest that, in the short term, the rescue flights mounted by El Al and Israir are intended primarily to clear the backlog of stranded passengers rather than to replace Flydubai’s full commercial schedule. Regular, predictable frequencies for new bookings may take longer to restore, depending on the outcome of safety assessments and regulatory reviews.

Safety reviews and future travel considerations

Following the incident on FZ1073, several reports describe how aviation and security authorities in Israel and partner countries are reexamining pilot vetting and cockpit security protocols for flights serving Israeli airports. Public commentary from senior Israeli officials, quoted in international media, indicates that Israel plans to tighten its own review of flight crews who operate into its territory.

Investigators are continuing to work across multiple jurisdictions to determine the alleged attacker’s motives and to understand how an individual accused of radicalization could gain access to the controls of a passenger aircraft. Until those questions are resolved, Flydubai’s Israel services remain suspended, and the airline has not announced a specific date for their resumption.

For travelers planning journeys between Dubai and Tel Aviv in the coming days, publicly available guidance suggests checking directly with Israeli carriers for available seats on rescue and replacement services, and reviewing travel insurance policies for coverage related to schedule disruptions linked to security incidents. As the investigation progresses and rescue flights begin to operate, airlines and regulators are expected to update timetables and safety information that will shape how quickly normal travel patterns on the route can resume.