The FAA issued a statement banning all US carriers from flying into Tel Aviv after a rocket hit an area less than a mile away from Israel’s main entry port – Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.
The ban will be in effect for 72hrs at first, but will be extended if the situation around the airport does not improve markedly in the days to come. Affected are Delta’s and American Airlines’ daily services into Tel Aviv. Following the announcement, a Delta B747-400 en route from JFK was rerouted mid-flight and landed safely at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle.
European carriers Lufthansa, KLM and Air France all suspended their services yesterday and are currently reviewing whether flights today are deemed safe to take off toward Israel. El Al’s services from Asia so far remain unaffected but travellers are advised to monitor the situation closely to avoid being stranded on the way.
Dominic Sebastian Lalk
