Major airlines have suspended flights to Israel in response to a surprise attack by Hamas. The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) advising caution when flying in Israeli airspace. This alert aligns with a similar one issued by the Israeli government.
Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of war, resulting in significant casualties. Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have led to over 300 Palestinian fatalities. In light of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza-based extremist militants, the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority issued an alert advising operators to review security and threat information, anticipating delays and cautioning pilots.
United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines have all temporarily suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv’s international airport. United stated that operations at TLV would remain suspended until conditions permit resumption. Delta and American Airlines have suspended their operations to Israel through at least Sunday, with a commitment to monitor the situation and prioritize safety and security.
Additional airlines, including Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates, Ryanair, and Aegean Airlines, have also canceled flights to Tel Aviv. However, flights to Eilat, Israel’s second international airport on the Red Sea, continue to operate. Airlines such as Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, and Air France-KLM have canceled Tel Aviv flights until further notice, offering customers flexibility in postponing or canceling their trips. ITA Airways from Italy and Iberia Express from Spain have canceled Tel Aviv flights for safety reasons. Polish carrier LOT has also canceled its Warsaw flights on Saturday.
Flight cancellations are updated minute by minute, and in order to know if a flight is indeed taking place, you must be in contact with the airline and at the same time follow the flight schedule on the website of the National Aviation Administration.
Israeli companies have actually added new flights, which are also called “rescue flights.” These flights are usually carried out when an empty plane takes off from Tel Aviv to a destination where many Israelis are stranded. Tickets for these flights are purchased separately regardless of whether the passenger has a ticket with another company or at a different time of the same Israeli airline.
