Airlines suspend flights to Israel over safety
US and European airlines have suspended flights to Israel for ‘for up to 24 hours’ following an incident with a rocket near Tel Aviv’s main airport.
EasyJet is the latest airline to follow suit, revising its decision late last night to also suspend flights for 24 hours.
It has cancelled its Luton/Tel Aviv/Luton and Basel/Tel Aviv/Basel flights on Wednesday 23 July and says it will review its operations to and from Israel on a day by day basis taking into account the advice from all relevant authorities.
However British Airways, which flies to Tel Aviv twice daily, is continuing to operate despite international pressure.
An EasyJet spokesman said: "easyJet will do all we can to look after our passengers. easyJet will try to provide suitable and secure hotel accommodation for affected passengers and will fly affected passengers home as soon as we can."
US airlines were the first to suspend flights, followed by European carriers Air France, KLM and Lufthansa.
The FAA ordered US airlines not to fly yesterday after Delta Airlines Flight 468 diverted to Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport en route from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv to New York’s JFK.
The plane was flying over the Mediterranean when a rocket fired from Gaza hit Yahood, a Tel Aviv suburb close to the airport.
The US ban was for a 24-hour period beginning yesterday at 12:15pm local time.
Delta said it had suspended its service from Israel to the US ‘until further notice’ to ensure the safety of customers and employees.
In a statement, the FAA said, "The notice was issued in response to a rocket strike which landed approximately one mile from Ben Gurion International Airport on the morning … [and] applies only to US operators, and has no authority over foreign airlines operating to or from the airport."
Delta Airlines and Air France said it was suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv ‘until further notice’, citing safety of crew and passengers.
The airlines Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Germanwings have suspended their flights to Tel Aviv because of the uncertain situation at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for the next 36 hours.
Wizz Air has suspended flights until midnight tonight.
Diane
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