A routine stopover in Dubai quickly turned into uncertainty for South African travellers as flights to Tel Aviv were cancelled without warning. The move by flydubai caught many off guard, leaving them to rebook, reroute their journeys, or find another way to reach Israel. This disruption has affected many travel plans, including a solidarity trip to Israel organized by the Jewish National Fund South Africa.
The suspension of flights was imposed following a security incident on September 30, aboard flight FZ1073, in which one pilot stabbed another before being restrained by passengers. Flydubai has stated that the suspension will remain in place until further notice while the incident is investigated. Michael Kransdorff, chairperson of the Jewish National Fund South Africa, explained that five participants, including himself, had booked flights on Emirates to Dubai and a flight to Tel Aviv with flydubai.
However, passengers were notified that their flight to Israel was cancelled and that they needed to make their own alternative arrangements. Kransdorff stated that Emirates is offering to reroute passengers via Cyprus and Rome and Athens, but there are no connecting flights now to Israel. The only other option is to cancel the ticket and rebook on another airline, which is exorbitant. Steven and Linda Kantor, also part of the solidarity trip, had to change their flights to still attend.
Travel agent Yochee Katz explained that when flights are cancelled, passengers must find an alternative airline flying to Israel and pay for the new booking themselves, as they cannot be rerouted onto another carrier. They will receive a refund for their cancelled flight, with the exception of certain non-refundable taxes. Katz noted that passengers have no choice but to follow the airlines' rules.
Kransdorff needed to be in Israel for a JNF SA solidarity mission and had an important meeting with the chairman of KKL-JNF in Jerusalem. Unable to reroute his existing ticket, he planned to cancel it and book with another airline, potentially flying via Ethiopia or even France. He hoped travel insurance would cover the additional cost but was not optimistic.
Kransdorff rebooked his flight with Ethiopian Airlines, but since it was close to departure, he had to pay almost double the price of his initial ticket. Kantor also rebooked, noting that the problem in these situations is that when they first heard about the tour, they booked early and got a better rate, but had to make alternative arrangements at short notice, resulting in higher prices.
The disruption has resulted in significant additional costs for travellers, with Kantor stating that they ended up paying approximately R8 000 more for essentially the same journey. The incident highlights the challenges faced by travellers when flights are cancelled or suspended, and the importance of having contingency plans in place.
Key points
- Flydubai suspended flights to Tel Aviv following a security incident on September 30.
- The suspension has left South African travellers scrambling to rebook or reroute their journeys.
- Travellers are facing significant additional costs, with one group paying R8 000 more for alternative flights.
