An Arkia flight carrying Israelis returning from Dubai landed at Ben Gurion Airport early Saturday, according to Ynet.
The first Arkia rescue flight carrying Israeli nationals stranded in Dubai landed at Ben Gurion Airport shortly after 01:23 Jerusalem on Saturday, according to Ynet. The landing marks the culmination of a day-long repatriation effort that began Friday afternoon after a number of Israelis became stranded in the United Arab Emirates.
The rescue operation encountered an unusual obstacle: Emirati authorities demanded that a separate cargo plane transport the passengers' luggage, citing a security concern over the separation of passengers and cargo. Israel's ambassador to the UAE was quoted earlier Friday describing a "technical problem" requiring the arrangement. An Arkia flight (603) departed for Dubai around 15:32, and a cargo plane for the luggage was expected to arrive several hours later. Passengers who boarded the rescue flight reported extensive security screening at Dubai airport, including additional scanning of carry-on bags. The first rescue flight departed Dubai after 21:48 and arrived at Ben Gurion just after midnight.
The heightened security measures come amid ongoing operational caution following the attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight on Sep 30, as The Zioneer reported. In that incident, an Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain, and the aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia before passengers were repatriated to Israel.
No further details on the number of passengers aboard the Arkia flight or plans for additional rescue flights were immediately available. The status of passengers' luggage also remains unclear.
6 developments
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