NEW YORK/ PARIS/: Several airlines said on Sunday they had suspended several flights Tel Aviv flights due to ongoing escalation between Palestinians and Israelis, western media reported. US air carriers Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines confirmed they had suspended all their direct flights to Tel Aviv.
Several Airlines Suspend Tel Aviv Flights Amid Israel-Palestine Escalation
Similarly, Lufthansa, Air France, Ryanair and Emirates also pulled their flights to Ben Gurion airport of Tel Aviv. Some media reports suggests that the pilots’ union for American Airlines has asked its members to decline to fly to Israel, quoting the ongoing escalation between Palestinians and Israelis.
American Union head Ed Sicher said in an email to union members that the pilots must not fly to Israel until they “can be reasonably assured of safety and security in the region.”
The email quotes the most recent advisory from the US State Department, which warns that the ongoing situation in Israel “continues to be unpredictable,” and that rocket and mortar fire can take place any time without any warning, putting airplane in danger.
Israel officially declared war Sunday as it bombed the Gaza strip with airstrikes in response for a surprise operation by a Palestinian group Hamas.
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Spain’s AENA airports officials said that four of nine flights scheduled to Tel Aviv on Sunday had been suspended, two from Barcelona and two from Madrid.
A spokesperson for Germany’s Lufthansa also cited “the ongoing security situation” to say it was abandoning all flights to and from Israel.”
Similarly, Italy’s ITA airways suspended its flight until Sunday morning at the earliest due to current security situation in the region.
Other international airlines suspending flights included Swiss, Aegean, Wizz Air, Air Canada and Austrian Airlines.
