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flydubai suspends all Israel flights — what passengers are owed

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Cancellations are happening. Keep every notification you receive. Last checked 2026-10-02.

flydubai suspended every flight to and from Israel after the FZ1073 cockpit attack on 30 September 2026, indefinitely. Israel's Aviation Services Law covers the route: a full refund within 21 days or a replacement ticket is owed regardless, and ₪2,450 compensation unless flydubai proves an exemption.

Still suspended — checked 2 October

flydubai is not flying to or from Israel and has given no restart date. Passengers whose final destination is Tel Aviv are not being accepted at their point of origin, and Emirates, which sells seats on these flights as a codeshare, has stopped accepting Tel Aviv passengers too.

El Al, Arkia and Israir are running repatriation flights from Dubai at fixed fares of $249, $279 and $299, hand luggage only. El Al's first two, on Friday 2 October, were cancelled after landing permission in Dubai was withdrawn overnight; it was restored later that day after talks between the two governments.

Work out what you are owed →

When

On Wednesday 30 September 2026 flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. flydubai then suspended all its Israel flights — up to ten a day, about 1,840 seats — “in coordination with the relevant authorities” while the investigation runs.

What happened, and why it matters for the compensation question

According to reports in Israel and the Gulf, the co-pilot attacked the captain in the cockpit and was overpowered by passengers and crew. The cause of the suspension decides the claim. If a government — in the UAE or in Israel — ordered the flights stopped, that is very likely a circumstance outside flydubai's control. If flydubai chose to stop flying after an act by its own crew member, no court has yet ruled whether that exempts it, and the burden of proof is on the airline.

Compensation is contested — the refund and care are not

Every cancelled flydubai flight between Dubai and Tel Aviv is covered by Israel's Aviation Services Law, which applies to any flight departing or arriving in Israel, whatever the airline. The refund or replacement ticket and the care while you wait are owed whatever caused the cancellation. The ₪2,450 compensation is owed unless you were told 14 days or more ahead, or flydubai proves special circumstances beyond its control (s.6(e)) — so ask it in writing which authority ordered your flight cancelled, and when.

Airports most likely to be affected

The Israeli Aviation Services Law covers every flight departing or arriving in Israel, whatever the airline. EU261 does not reach this route. For passengers on FZ1073 itself, the Montreal Convention also makes the airline liable for bodily injury caused by an accident on board; whether purely psychological harm qualifies is disputed, and a claim must be brought within two years. That is a question for a lawyer.

What you are owed

What you can claimOwed?
Full refund within 21 days of a written request, or a replacement ticketOwed, your choice
Whole-ticket refund if a later leg was cancelled and you never reached your destinationOwed — flydubai's own notice says so
Meals, communication, and a hotel with transport if you are stuck overnightOwed
Compensation: ₪2,450 per passenger (Dubai–Tel Aviv is about 2,130 km)Contested — no if told 14+ days ahead

A child with a ticket is owed the same as an adult. Do not cancel your own booking before flydubai cancels the flight: a passenger-initiated cancellation is refunded only under the fare rules.

What to do, in order

  1. Wait for the cancellation notice, then choose in writing. Keep the message with its date and time — it fixes whether you were told less than 14 days ahead. Then ask in writing for a refund or a replacement ticket; the 21 days run from that request.
  2. Bought your own way home? Claim it. If flydubai offered no replacement at the earliest opportunity and you paid for a repatriation seat, ask it in writing for the unused flydubai fare and the replacement ticket, with the receipt. It is not automatic, but in 2022 a Haifa small-claims court ordered flydubai to pay ₪28,650 to three passengers who had to buy their own tickets home.
  3. Claim the compensation through flydubai's contact form. That is the channel flydubai's own Israeli notice of rights names. List each passenger, the flight number and date, and ₪2,450 each, and ask for a bank transfer. Payment is due within 45 days.
  4. If it does not pay, file in Israel. A small-claims court needs no lawyer, and the limitation period is four years (s.19). Section 11 lets the court add exemplary damages where an airline knowingly withheld what the law requires.

Where to send it

Claim from flydubai as the operating airline. If a travel agent or Emirates issued your ticket, flydubai says the refund goes back through them. The Hebrew version of this page has the same steps for Israeli passengers.

The rules behind this

The duty-of-care guide covers what you are owed while you wait, and the extraordinary-circumstances guide explains the test an airline must meet to avoid paying.

Other disruptions we are tracking

The full list, with dates and airports

Sources

This page reports what has been published elsewhere. It is not affiliated with any airline or authority, and the position can change — check your own flight status.

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