Airlines suspend flights after Israel declares state of war
- Several international air carriers have suspended flight services with Tel Aviv
- Unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas has left more than 1,000 people dead
A growing number of international airlines suspended flights to Israel, which declared a state of war following the surprise attack by Hamas over the weekend, with US authorities advising carriers to monitor the situation before resuming operations.
US carriers including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines cancelled their services to Tel Aviv, as did European airlines such as Deutsche Lufthansa and Air France-KLM, alongside budget specialist Wizz Air from Hungary.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a Notams, or notice to air missions, telling operators to review the current security situation.
“Operators are advised to exercise caution”, the FAA said. “Delays are expected, operators should calculate fuel accordingly”.
Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv typically handles about 300 departures a day, according to data on FlightRadar24. The most popular service is to Istanbul with 105 flights a week, followed by Larnaca in Cyprus, and Antalya in Turkey. Dubai, Athens, Rome, Paris and Vienna are all among the top 10, the flight tracking website showed.
North American routes to Israel include Air Canada from Toronto and Montreal; Delta from New York, Boston and Atlanta; United from Washington Dulles, Newark, Chicago, and San Francisco; and American Airlines also from New York.