Israel seeks security personnel at UAE airports as condition for resuming Flydubai flights

Israeli officials have demanded the deployment of Israeli security personnel at airports in the United Arab Emirates as a condition for allowing Flydubai to resume flights to Tel Aviv, according to a report by Israeli business newspaper Globes.

The newspaper reported that Israel was seeking permission to station security personnel on Emirati territory, as it does in several other countries, and to establish security checkpoints at Dubai airports to inspect aircraft baggage.

According to the report, an Israeli delegation led by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, accompanied by security officials, had been scheduled to visit the UAE to discuss aviation arrangements between the two countries.

READ: Israel bars crew members holding 29 nationalities from flights to Ben Gurion Airport

The planned talks were to focus on two issues: the resumption of Israeli flights to Dubai, including the implementation of security measures, and the return of Flydubai services to Israel.

However, Israeli authorities subsequently decided to cancel the delegation’s visit.

Sources within the Israeli Ministry of Transportation told Globes that disagreements over security arrangements had created tensions between the two countries.

The sources said the visit was considered unnecessary because the UAE had not provided the guarantees requested by Israel or met what Israeli officials described as the minimum security requirements for resuming flights.

READ: UAE says FlyDubai co-pilot planned ‘suicide attack’ on Ben Gurion Airport