Abu Dhabi: The authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has prevented the entry of nearly 170 passengers aboard a Wizz Air flight from Israel, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
The plane landed on Friday afternoon, August 11 at Abu Dhabi International Airport, and it had departed from Tel Abiv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.
According to Israel’s Kan broadcaster, the authorities kept the disembarked passengers aside and allowed travellers from other planes landing in Abu Dhabi to pass forward in customs lines.
The reason behind the UAE’s decision to delay the entry of passengers from the Israeli flight was not disclosed.
However, SAMA News Agency reported that the Israeli passengers were denied entry because they did not have valid visas.
Later, they were allowed to enter the UAE after nearly five hours of waiting at Abu Dhabi airport.
The UAE and Israel operate daily many direct flights between the two sides.
On September 14, 2020, Israel and the UAE signed an agreement to normalize relations under the auspices of former US President Donald Trump.
