Airlines Adjust Flights to Tel Aviv Following Hamas Attacks

In response to the October 7 attacks by Gaza's militant Hamas rulers on Israel, numerous airlines operating to and from Tel Aviv have taken safety measures, including flight cancellations and reductions. The attack, which coincided with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, involved a coordinated multi-front assault, with thousands of rockets fired and infiltration along the heavily fortified border by air, land, and sea, taking Israel by surprise.

The aftermath of the attack saw approximately half of the scheduled flights for the following day, Sunday, October 8, not operating, with around a third remaining canceled as of Monday, October 9. Several airlines, including Ryanair and a United Airlines Boeing 777 from San Francisco, rerouted flights to Larnaca Airport in Cyprus as a precaution.

Notable airlines such as Wizz Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Air India, Turkish Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Egypt Air, Air Canada, Emirates, Air France, Dutch carrier KLM, Germany's Lufthansa, Finland's Finnair, Norwegian Air, Portugal's TAP, and Polish carrier LOT, as well as the Lufthansa Group, which comprises SWISS, Brussels Airlines, and Austrian Airlines, either canceled or reduced flights to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport. TUI fly Belgium, a tour operator, also suspended its flights to Tel Aviv, the sole destination in Israel, until October 21.

While Russia banned night flights to Israel due to an "unstable political and military situation," other aviation authorities such as the US Federal Aviation Authority, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and Israel's own aviation authority issued advisories but did not suspend flights. Russia recommended that airlines exercise vigilance during daylight hours and imposed flight restrictions to Israel before 09:00 GMT.

Israel's aviation authority responded by adjusting air traffic routes, urging airlines to review security information, warning of potential delays, and recommending that flights to Israel carry extra fuel as a precaution.

British Airways has announced its intention to maintain flights to Israel with adjusted departure times. However, easyJet temporarily suspended flights to Tel Aviv on October 8 and 9. Some countries, such as China, Hong Kong, and South Korea, canceled all flights to Tel Aviv.

Currently, all scheduled flights departing from Tel Aviv are exclusively from Terminal Three at Ben Gurion Airport, following guidance from Israeli security authorities. The situation remains closely monitored by airlines and aviation authorities as they prioritize passenger and crew safety.

By fLEXI tEAM