An Israir rescue flight scheduled to bring Israelis from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Thursday, Oct. 8, has been canceled after authorities in the United Arab Emirates abruptly withdrew the approval previously granted for the flight, throwing renewed uncertainty over the final stage of Israel’s operation to bring stranded travelers home.

Israeli passengers who had been scheduled to travel on Israir Flight 6H662 were informed Tuesday that the flight would not operate as planned. Although the cancellation currently applies to that flight, questions remain over whether additional rescue flights scheduled from Dubai will be affected.

Israir notified passengers: “Dear passengers, unfortunately, the approvals granted to Israir to operate rescue flight 6H662 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, scheduled for 08.10.26, have now been unilaterally canceled by the authorities in the United Arab Emirates.”

The airline said it is working with the relevant authorities in an effort to restore the flight or arrange another solution for affected passengers. Israir told travelers that it expects to provide another update by 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7.

The latest cancellation comes after several days of shifting approvals and logistical complications surrounding flights from Dubai. Israeli carriers had initially sought permission to operate special rescue services after FlyDubai suspended its Israel operations following the attempted terrorist attack aboard Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

Israir announced last Friday that it had received the necessary authorization from Dubai airport authorities for rescue operations, although at that stage it was still waiting for final clearance from all Israeli security authorities involved. The airline subsequently began operating flights, with its first rescue flight carrying approximately 180 Israelis arriving in Israel late Friday.

El Al and Arkia have also been operating limited rescue services from Dubai, while Etihad has continued flying between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. Regular service by Israeli airlines to the UAE has not yet returned to its pre-crisis schedule.

The rescue operation itself has already encountered repeated obstacles. On Oct. 2, El Al was forced to cancel planned rescue flights after approval for Israeli carriers to land in Dubai was withdrawn. The situation shifted again later that day, with Arkia and Israir obtaining approvals that allowed rescue flights to begin.

Another complication arose over baggage and security arrangements in Dubai. Because of disagreements surrounding security procedures, some passenger flights were required to operate separately from aircraft carrying travelers’ luggage, adding another layer of complexity to the effort.

Despite those difficulties, thousands of Israelis have already returned from the UAE since the operation began. According to Transportation Ministry figures released Tuesday, 941 passengers had returned aboard special flights operated by Israeli carriers from Dubai, while another 2,102 had flown home aboard Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi — more than 3,000 passengers altogether.

Earlier Tuesday, before the latest Israir cancellation became known, the Transportation Ministry said the special repatriation operation was expected to conclude Thursday after the remaining scheduled flights were completed.

The ministry said the first flights had already landed in Israel on Friday and that efforts were continuing to return Israelis “quickly and safely.”

The Transportation Ministry added: “The Transportation Ministry continues to monitor passengers’ needs and is working to adapt the transportation response in accordance with developments and demand.”

The fresh withdrawal of Israir’s Oct. 8 authorization now raises questions about whether the rescue operation will be able to conclude Thursday as planned, with the airline awaiting either renewed Emirati approval or an alternative arrangement for passengers booked on Flight 6H662.

{Matzav.com}