Israel has warned of a potential crisis with the UAE over an aviation security dispute that is threatening to halt its airlines flights to the Gulf country.
Israel’s Shin Bet security service expressed concerns earlier this week over certain unspecified security arrangements at Dubai International Airport and warned that Israeli airlines could halt operations there if the issue is not addressed.
“Over the past few months, security disputes have emerged between the competent bodies in Dubai and the Israeli aviation security system, in a way that does not allow for the responsible enactment of security for Israeli aviation,” a Shin Bet statement released on 7 February said.
However, on 8 February, Israeli Transport Minister Merav Michaeli extended a deadline “by about a month” as negotiations between the two countries continued.
An unnamed Israeli official said that a halt on Dubai flights would essentially end Israel’s UAE operations entirely, and would also stop UAE flights to Israel, according to Reuters.
“If El Al can’t fly to the Emirates, then Emirati companies can’t land here,” the Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was quoted as saying.
Dubai authorities have so far not commented on the issue.
In tandem with the deadline extension, Israel increased pressure on the UAE to address its security concerns. Among the measures Tel Aviv is reportedly seeking are: earmarking special areas of airports, or even separate terminals, for passengers coming from Israel; parking their planes under Israeli guard; and the presence of armed sky marshals aboard flights.
“The crisis could be regional, not just bilateral,” the Israeli official who spoke to Reuters added, citing Abu Dhabi’s role in the US-backed normalization deal, known as the Abraham Accords.
Direct flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai operated by El Al, Israir, and Arkia airlines started following the 2020 normalization of ties between Israel and the UAE, allowing hundreds of thousands of Israelis to visit Dubai since.