Airlines Ignored Warning From Israeli Intelligence to Stop Flying From UAE Before Hijack Bid

United Arab Emirates-based airlines have, for months, ignored Israeli intelligence warnings about safety concerns involving flights out of Dubai and have operated flights to Tel Aviv.Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency banned Israeli airlines from flying to Dubai at the start of the Iran war after the agency’s director, David Zini, claimed there were insufficient security measures in place at Emirati airports, Channel 12 reported. The agency has been expected to extend that ban, which was initially slated to end on October 31, through November. The ban has frustrated Israel’s airlines.Mr. Zini’s domestic intelligence service only has authority over Israeli airlines. The Ministry of Transportation is responsible for foreign airlines and has declined to stop flights from United Arab Emirates airlines, including FlyDubai, which experienced an attempted hijacking on Wednesday.Mr. Zini had been in a “major dispute” with Israel’s airlines over the ban, the network’s chief political correspondent, Amit Segal, reported. “The agency’s reasoning was straightforward: it considered security measures at Emirati airports insufficient, and since the Shin Bet is responsible for securing Israeli flights to and from Israel, it dug in and blocked those flights from going ahead,” Mr. Segal said.Israeli officials had raised concerns about possible missile attacks or attacks at an airport but had not discussed the possibility of hijackings, according to Thursday’s report.The lack of domestic options has left Israeli travelers to rely on options like FlyDubai.Dubai has become one of the most popular tourist destinations for Israelis and domestic airlines have pushed back on the ban. 837,000 passengers flew through Ben Gurion Airport to the emirates in the first eight months of 2026, Reuters reported, with nearly half of them using FlyDubai. Israel’s airlines say there should be options for Israeli travelers to use an Israeli airline on the route. Some Israelis have expressed a desire to fly on Israeli-piloted planes in the wake of the terror incident.FlyDubai has now suspended service between Dubai and Tel Aviv as an investigation gets underway into Wednesday’s hijacking incident. El Al has announced special rescue flights to bring stranded Israelis home. The airline says the rescue flights will have a uniform price of $249 per passenger with the first flight planned for Friday. “We will continue to do everything in our power to expand the flight schedule and help as many Israelis as possible return home safely,” El Al said in a Facebook post.El Al says it wants to resume its regular flight schedule to Dubai during the month of November after the eight-month suspension. Israir and Arkia — also planning rescue flights — have also asked for permission to resume their Dubai routes. A senior Israeli security official told Reuters that the issue was still being worked on with Emirati officials but “We hope that soon we will have final confirmation that we can allow Israeli airlines to resume flights.”The dispute over Dubai flights comes as investigators are trying to get a clearer picture of the motives of the FlyDubai co-pilot who stabbed his flight’s captain in an attempt to hijack and potentially crash the plane.The United Arab Emirates released a statement saying it had jurisdiction to investigate the incident because the aircraft is registered in the country and bears its flag. “Accordingly, UAE law applies to crimes committed on board the aircraft, even when they occur outside UAE territory,” the statement read.The Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the investigation will examine the circumstances and motives, including any possible connection to terrorist activity or intent, and whether it involved prior planning or direction.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacker may have been ideologically motivated. “We know that he underwent Islamist radical indoctrination,” Mr. Netanyahu told Fox News in an interview. He didn’t elaborate on the intelligence information.One online commenter speculated that the attacker might have planned to crash the plane into a Jordanian airbase that is hosting American military aircraft. Eyal Ofer said the plane altered its course just as it approached Jordan. Mr. Ofer said the new flight path was sending the plane straight toward the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. “This specific strategic installation has faced repeated missile and drone incursions by Iran, sustaining damage to both infrastructure and American service personnel,” Mr. Ofer said in an X post.The attacker has not been publicly identified but Israeli media reported that he is an Omani national. The United Arab Emirates has an aviation agreement with Israel that requires any pilot that lands in Israel to have a passport from a country with diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv, which Oman does not have.The attacker is being held by Saudi authorities. Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir is demanding that Israel seek his extradition. “Anyone who planned to crash a plane and murder 180 Israelis must be extradited to Israel and pay the heaviest price here,” Mr. Ben-Gvir said in a statement.The injured pilot, being hailed as a hero for being able to unlock the cockpit door before collapsing from his stab wounds, is now hospitalized in Abu Dhabi after being airlifted from Saudi Arabia. India’s ambassador to the Emirates, Deepak Mittal, met Thursday with Captain Smit Machchhar and his family. “Captain Machchhar is in good health and recovering well,” The Indian embassy said in an X post.

Airlines Ignored Warning From Israeli Intelligence to Stop Flying From UAE Before Hijack Bid

Airlines Ignored Warning From Israeli Intelligence to Stop Flying From UAE Before Hijack Bid

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