The attacks by the Islamic group Hamas on Israel on the morning of Saturday, October 7, and the subsequent declaration of war on the terrorists by the Israeli government, had a direct impact on civil air traffic in the country. Several flights bound for the city of Tel Aviv were diverted due to the unstable security situation in the region, as reported by our associated media, Aeroin.
According to information provided by Israeli military personnel, the Hamas offensive has been intense since Saturday morning, with more than 2,000 rockets launched against the country. In response, Israel has carried out airstrikes on the group’s facilities in the Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated from the military headquarters in Tel Aviv that “we are at war.”
This situation has also had consequences for civil air traffic. As a precautionary measure, some airlines decided to divert flights bound for Tel Aviv on Saturday morning. A flight from the company Wizz Air that departed from Rome, for example, returned to the Italian capital, while another that left Warsaw landed in Larnaca, Cyprus, instead of continuing to Tel Aviv. The same happened with two Ryanair flights, from Berlin and Budapest.
Lufthansa, for its part, is reducing its flight offerings to the region. A flight from Turkish Airlines that left Istanbul for Tel Aviv was diverted near Cyprus and returned to the Turkish city, while another from United Airlines (UA954) en route from San Francisco to Tel Aviv turned back while crossing Greenland.
Iberia Express also announced the cancellation of its flights to Tel Aviv this Saturday, asking passengers to call (0034) 91 904 63 42 for rescheduling options.
Debido a la situación en Israel, hemos cancelado nuestros vuelos con origen/destino Tel Aviv de hoy 07/10. Para consultas sobre flexibilización, por favor contactar en el (0034) 91 904 63 42. Confiamos en que se instaure la normalidad lo antes posible. Muchas gracias.
— Iberia Express (@iberiaexpress) October 7, 2023
Despite the diversions and cancellations, Tel Aviv airport remains open, with most flights landing normally. As can be seen on Cirium, 380 commercial flights were scheduled in Tel Aviv for Saturday, including arrivals and departures.
The national airline of Israel, El Al, is offering the option to cancel or reschedule flights at no cost due to the situation. There are also reports that airports in the southern part of the country are requesting a halt to operations, but some flights bound for Eilat are still scheduled.
The situation remains unstable, and further updates will be provided when available.
