Several major airlines canceled flights to Tel Aviv this weekend after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale attack against Israel.
On the arrivals board at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates, Ryanair, Aegan Airlines, and some US companies were all pulling flights.
Airport authorities did not stop commercial air links with Eilat, Israel’s second international airport and tourist destination on the Red Sea.
“Given the current security situation in Tel Aviv,” Lufthansa maintained a single flight back to Frankfurt, said a spokesman for the German carrier. “All other Lufthansa flights to and from Tel Aviv have been cancelled for this Saturday.”
Air France said it had halted Tel Aviv flights for a day “until further notice.”
Air France-KLM group’s low-cost carrier Transavia also canceled a flight from Paris to Tel Aviv on Saturday evening.
The cancellations came as Hamas launched a barrage of rockets into Israel, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens more. Israel responded with airstrikes on Gaza, killing at least 10 people.
The violence has raised concerns about the safety of commercial air travel to and from Israel. The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued a warning to pilots about the potential hazards of flying in the region.
Passengers with flights to or from Tel Aviv are advised to contact their airline for the latest information.
