Flights to Israel suspended after Houthi missile strike
Following the Houthi rebels' attack on Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, several airlines, including LOT Polish Airlines and Wizz Air, have suspended flights to Israel. These decisions affect connections from Warsaw and Krakow.
What do you need to know?
- Attack on Ben Gurion Airport: On Sunday morning, a ballistic missile launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen struck near the airport area, injuring several people and halting air operations for approximately half an hour.
- Suspended flights: LOT Polish Airlines and Wizz Air have canceled their flights to Tel Aviv. Wizz Air has halted all flights for 48 hours, while LOT Polish Airlines is awaiting further analysis before making additional decisions.
- International reactions: Other airlines, such as Lufthansa, Delta, United, British Airways, and Air India, have also suspended their connections with Israel for varying periods.
As a consequence of the attack on Ben Gurion Airport, many airlines have opted to cancel their connections. LOT Polish Airlines and Wizz Air have suspended flights from Warsaw and Krakow to Israel.
Krzysztof Moczulski, the spokesperson for LOT Polish Airlines, mentioned that decisions regarding future flights will be made after thoroughly analyzing the situation.
Which airlines have suspended flights to Tel Aviv?
The Hungarian carrier Wizz Air announced the suspension of all flights to Tel Aviv for 48 hours, until Tuesday morning. The Lufthansa Group, including Austrian and Swiss airlines, as well as low-cost carriers like Eurowings, has suspended connections with Ben Gurion Airport until Tuesday. Delta canceled Sunday and Monday flights between Tel Aviv and New York's JFK Airport, while United suspended flights from Newark to Israel at least until Thursday.
Which airlines are still flying to Israel?
Despite the challenging situation, Israeli airlines such as El Al, Arkia, and Israir continue their operations without disruption. Likewise, Greek airline Aegean, flydubai from the United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopian Airlines are also maintaining their flights.
Attack on the airport in Tel Aviv: Houthi attack
On Sunday morning, a ballistic missile launched from Yemen by Houthi rebels landed near Ben Gurion Airport, causing minor injuries and briefly halting air operations for about half an hour. The Israeli armed forces tried to intercept the missile but were unsuccessful. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have been regularly targeting Israel with rockets and drones since the onset of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, making Ben Gurion Airport a prime target. However, most missiles fired from Yemen are intercepted by Israeli air defenses.
