An Israeli delegation headed by Minister of Transport Miri Regev and including various security personnel was scheduled to fly this week to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Its agenda was twofold: renewal of Israeli flights to Dubai and the necessary security arrangements for them, and the renewal of flydubai flights to Israel. In the end, however, it was decided that the delegation would not go ahead.
Ministry of Transport and market sources told "Globes" that the two countries had been unable to reach agreement. They stated that there was no point in holding the meeting when the UAE was refusing to consent to Israel's minimum security requirements. Israel is insisting on stationing its own security people in Dubai, as it does in many countries, and on the installation of x-ray screening stations in Dubai airports for checking the luggage being loaded on the plane.
Security disagreements
In the months preceding the flydubai incident two weeks ago, in which the copilot of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv stabbed the pilot apparently with the intention of crashing the plane in Israel, Israeli airlines did not fly to the UAE because the requirements of the Israel Security Agency (ISA) were not met. Israel apparently expected that the presence of a terrorist on a flight leaving the UAE would change the rules of the game, leading to greater flexibility on the part of local UAE government agencies. Immediately following the incident, the relevant Israeli parties announced that they were preparing for a return to Dubai and the Ministry of Transport even organized "rescue flights" by Israeli airlines in the week following the incident.
It soon emerged, however, that this would be a difficult matter. As a result of profound security disputes, even the "rescue flights" were halted before being completed. When the "rescue flights" began, ISA demanded the placing of x-ray screening stations at airports in Dubai for the luggage. When this was not allowed, the passengers flew to Israel without their luggage. This problem is yet to be solved, but "Globes" has learned that the disagreements go much deeper. The UAE is currently refusing to accept the stationing of Israeli security personnel in the country, despite their presence in many countries around the world.
Israeli airlines, which were initially optimistic about restarting flights to the UAE next month, now believe that this will not happen in the foreseeable future.
Another issue on the agenda is the renewal of flydubai's flights to Israel. Immediately following the incident, the airline announced that it would not return to Israel before October 15 and the completion of its investigation, but flydubai now believes that its flights will not be renewed before the end of the month at the earliest. Although the airline announced that it had finished its investigation, it appears that the security agencies in Israel are behind the refusal. Ministry of Transport sources said, "There are disagreements about security."
Economic interests
Both disputes ostensibly concern security. Israel wants screening stations in Dubai and implementation of maximum security when flydubai renews its flights. It appears, however, that Israel is tacitly formulating a deal: the renewal of flights by Israeli airlines in exchange for a resumption of flights by flydubai. Industry sources told "Globes" that this was the deal, and government sources did not deny that such a deal was in the background of the talks between the parties.
"The economic interest must not be forgotten," a source familiar with the details told "Globes." "flydubai is a government company. In the end, they want to make a profit." Another source stated cautiously that Israel would use the return of flydubai to the route as a means of pressing for the resumption of flights by Israeli airlines.
The pressure works both ways. The UAE is using the resumption of flights by the Israeli airlines as a lever to induce Israel to allow flydubai to renew its flights. Last week, concurrently with the rescue flights question, a UAE source told N12, "They are increasing the number of flights under a stricter protocol. Flydubai can also apply the same protocol." In other words, the UAE recognizes Israel's wish to take advantage of the situation to resume flights by Israeli airlines and will strive to maximize its interest and promote it in the negotiations over the screening stations that Israel demandsl.
The UAE is unwilling to accept a situation in which the Israeli airlines resume flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai and flydubai does not. Israel wants to discuss the whole package and will not allow flydubai to resume its flights before the return of the Israeli airlines to the route is settled. At present, the only airline flying between Israel and the UAE is Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, so Israel may have more to lose.
Since the attempted hijacking of the flydubai flight to Israel, a number of Israel agencies have been involved in the event, among them the ISA (Shin Bet), Mossad, the National Security Council, the Ministry of Transport, the Prime Minister's Office, and others. A perfect storm has emerged: the disputes over security, economics, and aviation are making all the parties realize that if one country resumes its flights, the other is liable to be left without any means of exerting pressure.
For now, it appears that everyone ultimately loses: the UAE, Israel, and of course travelers, because ticket prices can only rise if the supply is smaller, with Etihad being the sole provider.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on October 13, 2026.
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