Dubai's Emirates extends flight cancellations to Israel until October 26

Dubai’s flagship carrier, Emirates, has extended the suspension of its flights to and from Tel Aviv, the Capital city of Israel until October 26, the airline announced Wednesday.

Emirates had cancelled its operations to and from Tel Aviv on October 12 amid the Israel-Hamas war, which broke out on October 7. The airline was operating three daily flights to Tel Aviv.

“We are closely monitoring the situation in Israel and are in close contact with the relevant authorities. The safety of our customers, crew and stakeholders is our number one priority,” said an Emirates spokesperson.

Since the onset of the conflict, flight operations between UAE and Israel’s capital have either been suspended or significantly reduced. Abu Dhabi's Etihad continues to provide services to Israel, albeit with a reduction in the number of daily flights.

Flydubai, based in Dubai, has also streamlined its operations to Tel Aviv from four daily flights to two.

“We continue to monitor the situation closely, and we’re liaising with the relevant authorities regarding the ongoing developments,” the airline said in an earlier statement.

The first Emirates flight to Tel Aviv took off in June last year, 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.

US President Joe Biden is presently in Israel on an urgent mission to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spiralling into a broader regional conflict and to encourage the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. Biden’s visit on Wednesday comes after hundreds of people were reported killed in an explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital a day earlier.