Flydubai charter flight from Tel Aviv touches down in Dubai

Dubai: Flydubai on Sunday confirmed that it operated a commercial charter flight from Tel Aviv to Dubai.

“flydubai operated a commercial charter flight from Tel Aviv Ben Gurion (TLV) to Dubai International (DXB) on 08 November 2020,” the UAE-based budget carrier told Gulf News in a statement. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-8KN, landed in Dubai at 5:42 PM, according to Flightradar24.

Second after Etihad

This makes flydubai the second major UAE airline to fly to Israel after Etihad. Last month, the Abu Dhabi-based airline became the first Gulf-based carrier to operate a commercial passenger flight to and from Israel. The airline had earlier said it would begin operating flights between the two destinations from November 26. Flydubai plans to run 14 flights a week offering a double daily service between Dubai and Tel Aviv.

The commencement of commercial flights between the two countries will be a game changer for UAE’s airlines, which have been hit hard by the pandemic. It will lead to a new stream of travellers that could help Dubai and Abu Dhabi partly bounce back from the crisis.