International Airlines Reduce Flights To Tel Aviv Amid Escalating Israel-Hamas Conflict

Several leading international airlines have suspended or reduced flights to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport as the conflict between Israel and Hamas escalates. 

Approximately half of the airport’s scheduled flights did not operate on Sunday, and about one-third were cancelled as of Monday evening.

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Airlines such as American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France, Delta Air Lines, Egypt Air, Emirates, Finnair, KLM, Lufthansa, Norwegian Air, TAP, LOT, Ryanair, and United Airlines are among those that have suspended or reduced flights to Tel Aviv.

Airlines flying from China, Hong Kong and South Korea also cancelled flights to Tel Aviv.

Russia has banned night flights to Israel and has restricted flights before 09:00 GMT due to the “unstable political and military situation.” 

Regulators, including the US Federal Aviation Authority, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and Israel’s aviation authority, have urged airlines to use caution in Israeli airspace but have not suspended flights.

Israel’s civil aviation authority has advised airlines to review current security and threat information and carry extra fuel as a precaution. 

British Airways plans to continue operating flights with adjusted departure times, while Virgin Atlantic will continue some flights and offer rebooking or refunds for affected customers.

Meanwhile in Australia, the government is considering evacuation flights to rescue Australians stranded in Israel, with more than 10,000 Australians living in the region. 

This decision follows the identification of a Sydney-born grandmother as the first Australian killed in the Hamas attacks. 

Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that the government is assessing all options for Australians wanting to leave Israel.

“We understand the difficulties with limited commercial options. If you want to leave and don’t have a viable option, we encourage you to pursue that,” the statement said.

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