The Israeli airline El Al canceled two special flights scheduled between Dubai and Tel Aviv on Friday, October 2, after the UAE unexpectedly revoked its landing authorization for Israeli carriers. This decision came as thousands of Israeli travelers sought to return home following the suspension of flights by other airlines, including flydubai, Arkia, and Israir. While Arkia and Israir have confirmed they have received the necessary authorizations, they are still operating under strict security and logistical constraints. El Al had planned to send its aircraft from Tel Aviv to Dubai empty and then return to Ben Gurion Airport with passengers stranded in the Emirates. However, the two flights on Friday, identified as LY974-1 and LY972, could not proceed. The airline cited the withdrawal of the agreement that allowed Israeli carriers to land in Dubai. According to Israeli media, El Al stated in a statement that it was "compelled to cancel, at this stage, its emergency flights" after the authorization was revoked by UAE authorities. Despite the cancellation, El Al said it remains ready to operate the special flights once the required authorizations are restored. The flights were originally scheduled to begin on Sunday, but according to several media reports, the available seats were already full. The Israeli Ministry of Transport had initially announced that flights from Dubai to Israel would start on October 2, but warned that delays were likely due to the necessary preparations and security coordination. This situation highlights the complexity of emergency repatriation operations compared to regular commercial flights. It involves securing flight permissions, coordinating with airport authorities, managing flight slots and passenger movements, and meeting heightened security requirements. The authorizations appear to have been granted on a per-operator basis, which explains why the three Israeli carriers have different operational statuses. Arkia and Israir announced that they had received the necessary validations to carry out repatriation flights from Dubai. Ben Gurion Airport showed arrivals from these airlines scheduled between Friday evening and Saturday, while El Al was only expected to arrive starting on Sunday. According to Ynet, the discussions involved Israeli civil aviation authorities, the Ministry of Transport, the Shin Bet internal security services, and the Israeli embassy in the UAE. El Al's initial departures had been planned for 11 am and 1 pm local time, but uncertainty over permissions disrupted the schedule. The constraints also affected travel conditions. Passengers on the special flights were only allowed to board with a small personal item, as luggage had to be transported separately as cargo. Arkia announced fares starting at $279, while Israir offered a one-way flight from Dubai for $299. The crisis began after flydubai suspended flights between the UAE and Israel following a serious incident on board flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft, a Boeing 737, made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after the co-pilot attacked the captain in the cockpit. The investigation is being conducted by Emirati authorities with the involvement of Israeli officials. The suspension of flydubai has significantly reduced the options for Israeli travelers trying to return home from the UAE. Emirates has also temporarily suspended its code-sharing agreement with flydubai to Israel and limited boarding in Dubai for passengers continuing to Tel Aviv. Israel has requested Etihad Airways to increase its capacity between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. According to Israeli authorities, approximately 10,000 Israeli citizens are seeking to return home. This number includes not only those present in Dubai but also travelers stranded or in transit in other Asian countries, such as India and Thailand, who were planning to pass through the Emirates.