Emirates cancels flights to Tel Aviv amid Israel-Gaza war

Dubai airline halts services until October 20

Emirates says the move is to ensure the safety of its passengers and staff. Photo: Emirates

Emirates is cancelling all flights to Israel from Thursday.

The Dubai airline's operations to Tel Aviv will be halted until October 20.

The last flight to the city's Ben Gurion Airport will be EK931, which is scheduled to land at 5.45pm local time, according to the airport's website.

The return leg, flight EK932, is scheduled to run as normal. It is due to depart Tel Aviv at 7.50pm local time and land in Dubai at midnight UAE time.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and are in close contact with the authorities. The safety of our customers and employees is our number one priority," an Emirates representative told The National.

"Customers affected by the suspension should contact their booking agents for alternatives, refunds, cancellations or for rebooking their flight itineraries. Change and cancellation charges will be waived for tickets issued on or before October 11, 2023, for travel until November 30, 2023.”

On Wednesday, the airline announced it was reducing operations from three daily flights to one from Friday until October 31.

The move comes amid the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza after Hamas's surprise attack on Saturday.

The first Emirates flight to Tel Aviv took off in June last year, carrying 335 passengers from Dubai International Airport. Flight EK931 marked the start of a daily service between the two cities, which was the latest step in strengthening ties between the UAE and Israel.