Dubai airline Emirates suspends operations to Israel until further notice

Dubai: Emirates is suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, the airline announced on Wednesday.

“We are closely monitoring the situation in Israel and are in close contact with the relevant authorities,” said an Emirates spokesperson.

“Customers with onward connections to Tel Aviv on Emirates flights will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice,” added the spokesperson.

Emirates, which initially cancelled its Tel Aviv flights on October 12 due to safety concerns amid the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, extended the suspension multiple times. The airline announced extensions going up to October 26, November 14, and a final one until November 30. Notably, this marks the first instance of Emirates indefinitely suspending operations to Tel Aviv.

“Customers affected by the suspension should contact their booking agents for alternatives, refunds, cancellations or for rebooking their flight itineraries,” explained the spokesperson.

The first Emirates flight to Tel Aviv took off in June 2022, carrying 335 passengers from Dubai International Airport. This flight marked the commencement of a daily service between the two cities following the signing of the Abraham Accords.