Journalist Dean Fisher (N12) explains that the Flydubai suspension means Israelis in Thailand with Emirates and Flydubai connecting tickets cannot enter Dubai and will remain in Thailand.
Journalist Dean Fisher (N12) reported Thursday afternoon that Israelis currently in Thailand who held tickets on Emirates to Dubai and connecting flydubai flights to Tel Aviv will be unable to enter Dubai and will remain stranded in Thailand. The clarification provides a concrete illustration of the ongoing flydubai suspension's impact on specific travel itineraries.
The Zioneer has tracked this story since Wednesday evening, when Transportation Minister Miri Regev ordered a halt to all flydubai flights after the pilot of an attempted hijacking aboard a Dubai–Israel flight was found to have an Omani background — a violation of the airline's operating agreement requiring pilots from countries with normalized ties with Israel. Initially set for six days starting Thursday, with Israeli rescue flights coordinated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the UAE ruler, the suspension was later extended indefinitely by flydubai itself, which confirmed all flights to and from Israel would remain suspended until the investigation into the hijacking attempt is concluded. As early as Thursday morning, The Zioneer warned that many Israelis abroad could face prolonged stranding.
The attempted hijacking occurred Wednesday. Asaf Regev, who was on the flight, said the terrorist was subdued for 55 minutes before British pilots regained control and landed the plane safely. Flydubai's operating agreement permits only pilots from countries with diplomatic relations with Israel — a condition that excludes Oman. The company has not released a timeline for the investigation's completion.
It remains unclear how many Israelis are affected by the Thailand routing issue specifically, or whether other transit hubs with similar connecting routes face analogous cascading disruptions. No estimate of the total number of stranded travelers has been released.
7 developments
- StrongFlydubai officially halts all flights to Tel Aviv until further notice
- StrongEmirates clarifies: Tel Aviv-bound passengers can land in Dubai after rescue flights approved
- StrongFlydubai: Circumstances of Tel Aviv-bound flight incident still under investigation
- DevelopingNo US airline set to return to Israel before September, N12 reports
Source and signal
- Open-source intake