Israel's main airport is closed, airlines are canceling flights due to escalation in the region
Kyiv • UNN
Ben Gurion Airport in Israel is closed until further notice. Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Wizz Air are canceling flights, the situation affects flights in other countries.
Ben Gurion Airport, which is considered the main airport in Israel, is closed "until further notice," airlines have begun issuing notices about flight cancellations, UNN writes, citing The Times of Israel.
Details
Against the backdrop of Ben Gurion Airport being closed to arrivals and departures until further notice, after Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Iran and its nuclear program overnight, some airlines have begun issuing notices about flight cancellations.
Channel 12 reports that the airport is expected to remain closed for the next 3-4 days, but this has not been confirmed. A representative of the country's airport authority told The Times of Israel that there has been no official statement or assessment.
After an "assessment of the situation," the Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, reports that it is updating its flight schedule in the Middle East and suspending service to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv until July 31.
For "operational reasons," she adds, the group is suspending SWISS flights to and from Tel Aviv until the end of the summer season and until October 25.
The group says it "regrets the inconvenience caused to its customers as a result of the situation."
The Air France-KLM Group says it has been forced to cancel flights to and from the country until further notice "due to the security situation in Israel and the closure of airspace."
"We are constantly monitoring developments and will update as soon as it is possible to resume operations," the statement said. Passengers can contact customer support to change flight dates or get a refund in accordance with the company's policy.
Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air informs passengers about cancellations and disruptions to flights, citing "current developments in the region."
At the same time, according to Al Jazeera, the situation in the region has affected flights in other countries as well. In particular, it is reported that flights in Beirut have been canceled after Israeli strikes on Iran.
Earlier, airlines also canceled flights to Tehran in Iran. German airline Lufthansa said it had suspended all flights to and from Tehran after large-scale Israeli strikes against Iran. "Lufthansa Group flights to and from Tehran will be suspended until further notice due to the current situation," the company said in a statement, adding that it would also avoid Iranian, Iraqi and Israeli airspace for the time being.
Russian Aeroflot also said it had canceled flights between Moscow and Tehran and made changes to other routes in the Middle East.
The airport of the capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi, stated that it expects flight disruptions after Israel's strike on Iran. "Flight disruptions are expected today at Zayed International Airport. Passengers are advised to check with their airline for the latest status of their flights before traveling to the airport," Abu Dhabi Airport said in a statement on X.
The airport operator in Cyprus said that dozens of flights from the Middle East had been diverted to the island's airports, amid regional countries imposing airspace restrictions following Israel's attack on Iran. Hermes said that by 11 a.m. local time, 32 flights had been diverted to Larnaca and Paphos airports.
It was also reported that Israeli carriers Israir, Arkia and El Al said they had evacuated and redeployed aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, adding that the move was part of a contingency plan developed over the past few days. Airlines said they are moving their planes out of the country.