The dispute is escalating over security arrangements at Dubai airport for the flights to Tel Aviv operated by Israeli airlines. Sources inform "Globes" that the Israeli authorities will work according to the principle of fair competition and require the number of daily flyDubai flights on the Tel Aviv - Dubai route to be restricted.
The aviation agreement between Israel and the UAE allows for 28 daily flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai. Each of Israel's three airlines - El Al, Arkia and Israir, each operated three daily flights on the route before the dispute over security arrangements but have now been instructed by the Dubai authorities to limit their daily flights to just one each on the route. Emirates airlines low-cost unit flyDubai currently operates four daily flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv but will now be asked to cut the number of flights.
More than a year after flights were inaugurated between Tel Aviv and Dubai, following the signing of the Abraham Accords, no agreement has been signed on security arrangements for the flights. Israel's Security Agency (Shin Bet) sets the security demands for overseas flights at every airport that Israeli airlines fly to and to date flights have been conducted under temporary arrangements.
Until this week, when the Israeli airlines were restricted to one daily flight there were 13 daily flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai - three from each of the Israeli airlines and four from flyDubai as well as Etihad Airways flights between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi. Many Israelis fly to the UAE and then on connection flights to Africa, Asia and Australia.
The dispute has led to delays in flights in recent weeks and the cancellation of flights and representatives of El Al and Israel's Civil Aviation Authority flew to Dubai to try and resolve the issue but to no avail.
The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said, "The operations of Israeli airlines on the Israel-Dubai route have been allowed so far due to arrangements which Israeli bodies reached with their Dubai counterparts, according to the Israel security principles practiced all around the world. In recent months, there has been a dispute about security between the authorized bodies in Dubai and the Israeli aviation security arrangements, in a way that has not allowed security responsibility for Israeli airlines to be carried out.
Although the dispute is not a diplomatic one, senior diplomatic figures from the two countries are trying to find a solution to the issue. In Dubai, it is claimed that the Israeli demands have created a security autonomy within the security area at Dubai airport for Israeli airline flights and that the airports in the UAE city is huge, fully equipped and serves many dozens of airlines and countries.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on February 17, 2022.
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