Nava Koster, an Israeli stranded in Dubai since Tuesday, told Walla on Wednesday that the alternative flight she had booked for Thursday had also been canceled. “The flight we bought tickets for tomorrow has also been canceled. All the rescue flights have been canceled,” she said.
Despite reports of efforts to bring stranded Israelis home from the United Arab Emirates, Koster said she and the other members of her tour group still do not know how they will return to Israel.
Koster departed on September 27 for an organized tour of Sri Lanka with Israeli travel company Eshet Tours. The group was scheduled to return from Sri Lanka on October 6 via Dubai, with a connecting flydubai flight to Tel Aviv. That flight was canceled amid disruptions following the incident aboard a flydubai flight to Israel and the suspension of service on the route.
“Eshet Tours abandoned us and cut off all contact with us,” Koster alleged. “There are no rescue flights at all, despite what is being reported in the media. Our entire group is scattered across various places because Eshet Tours did not arrange anything for us: no hotel, no alternative flights, no transportation, and no food. I believe we are not the only group of Israelis still stranded in Dubai.”
Koster said group members had tried to make their own travel arrangements, but available flights were either full or prohibitively expensive. For a family of seven, she said, buying replacement tickets could cost thousands of dollars.
Israelis stuck without medication, unable to afford return tickets
The situation is particularly difficult for two members of the group who are nearing 80 and need medication. “For them, the prolonged wait and uncertainty are not merely a matter of convenience,” Koster wrote in a message to Walla.
She asked Walla to investigate how many Israelis remain in Dubai, how many are able to board flights described as rescue flights, and what assistance is available to those who cannot afford thousands of dollars for replacement tickets.
“There is a large gap between reports of ‘rescue flights’ and the reality on the ground,” she said. “We are still here, waiting for a solution and a way to get home.”
Arkia cancels rescue flights
Meanwhile, Israeli airline Arkia announced that its rescue flights from Dubai to Israel had been canceled.
“Authorization to operate the flights was valid until yesterday, but in the evening, the authorities decided to revoke the permits for Israeli airlines to operate flights from Dubai. Since then, Arkia has worked with all relevant parties and done everything possible to obtain renewed authorization and operate the flights. Unfortunately, these efforts have not succeeded as of this hour, and we are therefore forced to cancel the flights,” the airline said.
Eshet Tours said: “We understand the distress and uncertainty passengers are experiencing following the cancellation of flights from Dubai to Israel, and we are continuing to work to help bring home those who have not yet returned. The company has been, and remains, in regular contact with passengers through the tour guide and its emergency hotline. Some members of the group have already returned to Israel. Unfortunately, the cancellation of the flight on which some passengers were due to return has further delayed their return. We are addressing the situation continuously and assessing the available alternatives to find the best solution for their return as soon as possible. The company continues to assist all passengers who remain abroad and stay in contact with them until they return to Israel.”
