For almost six years since signing the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel, the United Arab Emirates has maintained a steadfast relationship with the country, despite a fierce backlash from some of its Arab neighbors.
Commercial ties were one demonstration of that relationship, and direct flights between the countries became a frequently cited example of their growing links. But the attack in the cockpit of a FlyDubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday has brought renewed scrutiny of their relationship.
Questions are swirling over what prompted the attack, in which witnesses say the co-pilot stabbed the pilot and passengers and crew members rushed the cockpit to avert a midair catastrophe. The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The Emirates has said it is leading the investigation into the attack, including any potential links to terrorism, and FlyDubai has suspended the service between Dubai and Tel Aviv. Israel’s Ministry of Transportation said in a statement on Thursday that the suspension was also a directive from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the recommendation of the head of Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency.
Some Israeli officials are also intensifying scrutiny of the airline.
Some Israelis have proven reluctant to fly on the airline after the attack. El Al, Israel’s flagship carrier, said on Thursday that it would launch special flights to bring Israelis back from the Emirates.
FlyDubai became the first Emirati airline to fly to Tel Aviv in November 2020, roughly two months after Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed the Abraham Accords. At a ceremony to commemorate the first flight, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel called the inauguration of the route a “pivotal moment.”
By 2024, FlyDubai had become the second-largest foreign carrier operating out of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, carrying more than 500,000 passengers that year, according to Israeli government data. By 2025, the number of passengers had increased to more than 800,000.
FlyDubai’s importance grew this year, as other airlines, including El Al, suspended flights between the Emirates and Israel because of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran in February. It also continued to fly to Tel Aviv during Israel’s war in Gaza, when other regional airlines suspended flights.
Israel’s first ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Amir Hayek, who served in the position until October 2024, praised FlyDubai on Wednesday and defended the company for continuing to fly to Israel when others stopped or limited service after the start of the Iran war. “The UAE and the airline deserve for us to set aside speculation and allow them to thoroughly investigate what actually happened,” he wrote on social media. “I trust them.”
But Mr. Netanyahu has raised questions about how FlyDubai operates. In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, the prime minister said that the co-pilot was an Omani citizen and asserted that the Israeli authorities prohibited pilots from countries unfriendly to Israel from flying into the country. “We have constraints that say you can’t have pilots from countries that don’t have diplomatic relations with Israel,” he said. Oman and Israel do not have diplomatic relations.
It is unclear what the requirements are for flights between the Emirates and Israel since air travel commenced between the two countries.
FlyDubai’s press office declined to respond to several questions on Thursday. In a statement on Wednesday, it said the motives behind the attack were under investigation. “We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts,” the company said.
The post FlyDubai Under Scrutiny After Cockpit Attack appeared first on New York Times.
