Flights by airlines cease operation to Israel following a Houthi missile landing near an airport.
Revised Article:
In a chaotic turn of events, numerous international airlines suspended their flights to Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday morning following a missile strike by Yemeni Houthi rebels. The missile landing near the airport caused panic among passengers and sent a plume of smoke into the air.
Reuters reported that various foreign carriers, such as Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, halted flights to and from Tel Aviv. This suspension, following a ceasefire deal with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, left flag carrier El Al Airlines and smaller rivals Arkia and Israir with a near-monopoly. Shares for El Al and Israir surged as a result, with El Al gaining 7% and Israir increasing by 4.1% in a flat Tel Aviv market.
Delta Air Lines announced the cancellation of Sunday's flight from JFK in New York to Tel Aviv and the return flight from Tel Aviv on Monday. United suspended its twice-daily flights between Tel Aviv and Newark while monitoring the situation. Previously delayed flights from Tel Aviv on Delta and United in the morning departed approximately 90 minutes late.
The Lufthansa Group, comprising Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels, and Austrian, decided to halt flights to and from Tel Aviv through Tuesday due to the current situation. ITA suspended flights from Italy to Israel through Wednesday, while Air France cancelled flights on Sunday, though customers were transferred to flights on Monday. TUS flights to and from Cyprus were cancelled through Monday, and Air India flights from New Delhi were halted on Sunday.
Ryanair suspended flights on Sunday, but flights are still scheduled for Monday. Wizz Air also halted flights.
Aegean, flydubai, and Ethiopian did not cancel flights, maintaining operations to Israel as usual.
Michael Sceemes, a passenger whose Air France flight was cancelled, voiced his concerns over returning to France, stating, "I'm afraid it's going to be very difficult to go back to France because all European carriers, from what I see on the information board, have cancelled. Lufthansa have cancelled, Swiss have cancelled, Brussels (Airlines), so no connection is possible."
El Al announced it would introduce rescue flights to Israel from Larnaca and Athens for passengers stranded by foreign carriers at a cost of $99 and $149, respectively.
Udi Bar Oz, head of Ben Gurion Airport, expressed optimism, claiming the airport was operating less than 30 minutes after the missile hit a road nearby. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesperson, took responsibility for the strike, stating Israel's main airport was "no longer safe for air travel."
The Houthis, who control parts of Yemen, began targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping in late 2023 during the early days of Israel's conflict with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu vowed a response to the Houthis, stating, "We attacked in the past, we will attack in the future... There will be more blows."
Many passengers like Sceemes now face uncertain plans, as the resumption dates for several airlines remain unspecified. The situation is expected to be closely monitored as security conditions evolve.
Enrichment Data:Following the missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport by Houthi rebels, several airlines have suspended their flights to and from Israel. Here's a list of affected airlines and the known resumption dates:
Affected Airlines:- American Airlines: No specific resumption date mentioned; flights will likely not resume until at least September 2025.
Airlines Continuing Operations:- Ethiopian Airlines: Announced it would continue operations to Israel as usual.
- The suspension of flights by international airlines to Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport is a result of a missile strike by Yemeni Houthi rebels.
- El Al Airlines and smaller rivals Arkia and Israir have a near-monopoly due to the flight suspensions following a ceasefire deal with Hamas.
- Delta Air Lines cancelled Sunday's flight from JFK in New York to Tel Aviv and the return flight from Tel Aviv on Monday.
- United Airlines suspended its twice-daily flights between Tel Aviv and Newark, while monitoring the situation.
- The situation in Gaza, involving war and political conflicts, has caused unrest in the region, leading to strikes and attacks.
- The Lufthansa Group, including Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels, and Austrian, halted flights to and from Tel Aviv through Tuesday.
- ITA suspended flights from Italy to Israel through Wednesday, while Air France cancelled flights on Sunday but transferred customers to flights on Monday.
- TUS flights to and from Cyprus were cancelled through Monday, and Air India flights from New Delhi were halted on Sunday.
- Ryanair and Wizz Air also suspended flights due to the current situation in Gaza.
- As a result of the flight suspensions, passengers like Michael Sceemes now face uncertain plans, as the resumption dates for several airlines remain unspecified, particularly American Airlines with no specific resumption date mentioned.
