Thousands of Israelis stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are facing further delays in returning home after Israeli airline El Al postponed planned repatriation flights from Dubai.
The postponement followed the UAE’s withdrawal of landing permission for El Al flights at Dubai International Airport.
El Al said two flights scheduled to depart Dubai at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time on Friday were canceled.
The airline did not provide a reason for the cancellations but said it planned to resume flights from Sunday.
Israeli media reported that all available seats on the planned repatriation flights had already been booked.
Israeli airlines Arkia and Israir have also been chartered to help evacuate stranded Israelis.
Arkia had scheduled a flight for Friday, although it was not immediately clear whether the flight would operate.
Israel’s Transport Ministry had earlier announced that repatriation flights would begin on Friday but warned that operations could be delayed by factors including coordination among security agencies.
Israeli media reported that more than 10,000 Israelis were stranded in Dubai and other locations.
The disruption followed a violent incident aboard a Flydubai aircraft traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
Flydubai subsequently suspended flights to and from Israel while investigations into the incident continued.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the aircraft’s co-pilot stabbed the pilot during an altercation.
The aircraft reportedly entered a nosedive before the pilot opened the cockpit door and the alleged attacker was overpowered.
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The plane later made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, with another crew member who had been traveling in the cabin taking over the controls.
The Israeli government has described the incident as an attempted jihadist terrorist attack allegedly involving the Omani co-pilot, although the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
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