Airlines face a wave of flight cancellations to “Tel Aviv” on Saturday in the wake of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
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A plane lands at Ben Gurion Airport near “Tel Aviv”, on October 20, 2020. (AFP)
Airlines had to cancel flights heading to “Tel Aviv” on Saturday. By midday, approximately 15% of the flights destined for Ben Gurion International Airport, “Israel’s” primary international airport, were scrapped, as reported by FlightAware, a flight tracking platform.
Ben Gurion Airport is located just outside of “Tel Aviv”, where there were audible explosions on Saturday. Some flights were rerouted to alternative airports, as indicated by FlightRadar24.
Delta Air Lines made the decision to cancel flights to and from “Tel Aviv” for the entire weekend. The airline stated that it was in the process of arranging transportation for its employees to return to the United States and would collaborate with the government to assist US citizens who wanted to come back.
American airlines also temporarily halted flights to and from “Tel Aviv” for both Saturday and Sunday. The airline stated that it would maintain vigilant oversight of the situation and adapt its plans as necessary.
In the same context, United Airlines Flight 954, en route from San Francisco to “Tel Aviv”, reversed its course to the United States early on Saturday. United Airlines announced that it would temporarily cease its operations in “Tel Aviv” after completing its two planned departures from the airport on Saturday.
On its account, Lufthansa, the German airline, announced a reduction in flights to “Tel Aviv” on Saturday, with all flights except one from “Tel Aviv” to Frankfurt being canceled. A spokesperson for the airline mentioned that they were closely monitoring the situation and maintaining communication with relevant authorities.
Several other airlines stated that they were also monitoring the situation but would continue their operations. British Airways revealed that they had implemented a flexible booking policy, enabling customers to adjust their travel plans as needed.
Air France has temporarily halted its flights to “Tel Aviv” in response to the attack on “Israel” by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, as announced by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in an interview with BFM TV on Sunday.
It is worth noting that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urged, on Saturday, US airlines and pilots to use caution when flying in Israeli airspace.
This comes after the Palestinian resistance launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in response to the continued desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque and assaults on women worshippers by Israeli settlers and to ensure the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Read next: Hamas head announces Operation Al-Aqsa Flood responding to IOF attacks