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Airlines around the world are halting flights to and from Israel following attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, prompting Israel to declare war and order a siege on the Gaza Strip.
According to tracking website FlightAware, as of 2 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, 119 flights arriving at or departing from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport had been canceled. At least 139 were canceled on Sunday, a day after Hamas began infiltrating Israel from the Gaza Strip.
While some airlines suspended flights to Israel for a few days, Delta Air Lines announced on Monday that it would suspend its flights to Tel Aviv until October 31.
Some countries have announced evacuation plans for Israeli citizens using government or military aircraft. Some Israeli citizens abroad are also trying to get home amid the growing conflict, but are unable to find flights to Tel Aviv due to widespread cancellations.
Late Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration urged U.S. pilots flying over Israeli airspace to exercise caution, echoing a warning from the Israeli government. A statement posted on Ben Gurion Airport’s website on Monday said the facility was “operating as planned, including departures and landings.”
The State Department is urging U.S. travelers to exercise increased caution when traveling to Israel and the West Bank and recommends not traveling to the Gaza Strip due to “terrorism, civil unrest and armed conflict.”
In a security alert on Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Israel advised Americans in Gaza “who wish to leave and can do so safely” to check the status of the Rafah crossing, the only border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. U.S. citizens and eligible family members in Israel should contact the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem or the U.S. Consulate in Tel Aviv with their Crisis Intake Form for assistance, according to a Sunday alert.
Israel’s national airline El Al released an update Monday afternoon local time saying that flights would continue to operate as planned, but that all flights from Tel Aviv were departing from a single terminal. Travelers who would not use scheduled flights have the option of requesting travel vouchers online. The airline is also waiving change fees for certain flights before October 21st.
Delta Air Lines is canceling its flights via Tel Aviv for the remainder of October, the company said in an emailed statement early Monday evening. “Our thoughts are with those affected as our employees work to find safe alternatives for customers attempting to leave TLV,” the statement said.
Delta will communicate certain flight changes to customers via the Fly Delta app. The airline also said it will “continue to explore options for customers to safely exit TLV via seats that become available on our partner airlines.”
Delta told The Washington Post on Monday that it would work with the U.S. government, if necessary, to help American citizens in Israel return to the United States.
United Airlines operated two scheduled flights from Tel Aviv over the weekend and hosted “customers, crew and employee travelers” at Ben Gurion International Airport. “Our flights to Tel Aviv remain suspended until conditions permit resumption,” the airline said.
American Airlines has canceled all flights via Tel Aviv until Friday. The company issued a travel advisory with additional information on customer flexibility, including waiving change fees for flights through Oct. 21. “We continue to monitor the situation with safety and security in mind and will adjust our operations as necessary,” the airline said. Customers, she added, should visit aa.com or the airline’s mobile app for more information on specific flights.
Since Sunday, Air Canada has also canceled flights to Tel Aviv until October 12th. Those traveling as scheduled can either rebook their flight to another date free of charge or cancel it until October 30 and receive a full refund, an airline update said.
Despite the series of cancellations, British Airways told the Post on Monday that flights to and from Tel Aviv would continue to operate.
“The plan is currently to operate the flights with adjusted departure times in the coming days,” the airline said in a statement. Airline officials said they “continue to monitor the situation in Israel very closely and have introduced a flexible booking policy that allows customers to change their travel dates free of charge.”
EasyJet said all customers affected by cancellations were entitled to a voucher, a refund or a free rebooking to another flight. Customers with upcoming travel plans are encouraged to contact the airline directly. “Due to the situation, we understand that some customers traveling in the coming days may no longer wish to travel,” the airline said.
Virgin Atlantic has canceled certain flights to Tel Aviv until October 11, but continues to operate a daily flight to and from London Heathrow. “Due to the evolving situation in Israel, some of our flights to and from Tel Aviv may experience delays or cancellations,” a spokesman said. Travelers who want to change their plans can also rebook their flights free of charge or request a full refund until at least October 21st.
“The safety of our customers and our employees is always our top priority and our flight program to Israel is under constant review,” the airline said.
German airline Lufthansa, part of the larger Lufthansa Group, has suspended all regular flights to and from Tel Aviv until October 14.
According to an update on the airline’s website, Air France is suspending all flights in Tel Aviv until further notice in agreement with French and Israeli authorities. Flights to and from Tel Aviv were canceled until at least Tuesday.