Two major U.S. carriers have announced that they are canceling all flights to Israel until further notice. The decision to cancel all flights to Israel have been confirmed by Delta Airlines and U.S. Airways. United Airlines, on the other hand, has decided to continue operating flights in and out of Israel normally – although that status might change as per this tweet by ABC News correspondent Rebecca Jarvis.
@United joins @Delta + other carriers suspending service to/from Tel Aviv Airport after rocket lands nearby.
— Rebecca Jarvis (@RebeccaJarvis) July 22, 2014
The decision to cancel flights to Israel comes shortly after reports emerged about a rocket attack near the Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, according to The Daily Star. The report also adds that a Delta Airlines’ 747 scheduled to land at Tel Aviv was diverted to Paris following the rocket attack. The plane, with 273 passengers and 17 crew members, was flying over the Mediterranean when it was directed to turn to Paris for landing. It is unclear at this stage what arrangements would be made for passengers aboard that flight.
“Delta Air Lines DL 468 from New York to Tel Aviv diverts to Paris after Delta decided to cancel all Tel Aviv flights pic.twitter.com/9pehQU0Iup” — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) July 22, 2014
Haaretz reports that the decision by Delta Airlines and U.S. Airways to cancel flights to Israel was taken after the Federal Aviation Authority issued a warning to airlines following the aforementioned attack which caused a rocket to land in Yehud, near Tel Aviv’s.
Delta Airlines has issued the following statement:
“Delta has suspended service until further notice to and from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and its New York-JFK hub. Delta, in coordination with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, is doing so to ensure the safety and security of our customers and employees.Delta flight 468, a Boeing 747 from JFK with 273 passengers and 17 crew, diverted to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Tuesday after reports of a rocket or associated debris near the airport in Tel Aviv. Delta is working to re-accommodate these customers. Delta continues to work closely with U.S. and other government resources to monitor the situation. A customer waiver for travel to Tel Aviv is in effect and published on delta.com.”
Israeli police officials have said that the rocket that landed near the Tel Aviv airport was fired from the Gaza Strip and that it damaged a house and wounded an Israeli citizen. The injuries, however, are minor.
U.S. Airways operates a daily flight to Israel from Philadelphia and that flight for Tuesday was canceled. The return flight from Tel Aviv too remains canceled. United Airlines operates two flights to Israel from Newark – daily. These have not been canceled at the time of filing this story.
The decision to cancel all flights to Tel Aviv comes barely a week since the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine. That crash claimed the lives of 298 people. Violence between Israeli security forces and the Palestinians too have seen an escalation in the past few days, resulting in these cancellations.
[Image Via Wikimedia Commons]