British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have announced the suspension of all flights to Tel Aviv due to security concerns in Israel. The decision came after British Airways diverted a flight from London back to Britain. A spokesperson for the Israel airports authority confirmed that rockets were flying around Tel Aviv at the time of the diversion but stated that there was no immediate threat to the flight or to Ben Gurion Airport. The return to Britain was the pilot’s decision and no other flights were diverted.
Following the surprise attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel on Saturday, many international airlines have suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv. Flydubai has also announced the reduction of flights to Tel Aviv from four to two per day. With the suspension by British Airways, no IAG-owned airlines are currently offering flights to Tel Aviv.
Aviation authorities have cautioned airlines flying into Israel about the ongoing rocket attacks. While flights have not been grounded, some experts have warned about the risky airspace situation. The U.S. government has been in talks with airlines to encourage the resumption of flights. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressed support for finding safe ways to support travel between the United States and Israel.
British Airways had been operating a single daily flight to Tel Aviv before the suspension. Flight tracking website FlightRadar showed that British Airways flight BA165 had almost reached Tel Aviv before turning back to London.
The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles apply to this report.
Sarah Young, who has been a part of the UK bureau for 12 years, and Joanna Plucinska, who reports on airlines and travel in Europe, contributed to this article.