Israel, airlines on the run. Only El Al continues to fly
Israel is virtually isolated from the world. Apart from flights by the national airline, El Al, and flights [...]
El Al
Israel
Israel is virtually isolated from the world. Except for the flights of the national airline, El Al, and charter and repatriation flights for international citizens; all airlines have severed their connections with the country because of the war operations that have been unleashed this past week.
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While United States, European Union, United Kingdom and India continue to operate evacuation flights from Israel; in fact, major airlines suspended regular flights immediately after the offensive began.
Swiss and Lufthansa halt operations
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The last one, in order of time, was. Swiss Air which announced on the evening of October 12 that it was halting all operations to Tel Aviv. A decision shared by the entire Lufthansa Group.
"In view of the continuing and uncertain developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and following an in-depth analysis of the situation, the group's airlines Lufthansa, including Swiss, have decided to suspend scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv until October 22." With this note it is the airline itself that announced the stop.
Reservations for Swiss flights between Zurich and Tel Aviv will also remain closed until October 31.
Why El Al continues to fly
Israel's flag carrier El Al, on the other hand, has increased the number of flights partly because it needs to bring Army reservists home. These special flights are scheduled throughout the weekend.
The first carriers to announce flight cancellations were North American carriers and our own Ita Airways, as early as last Sunday. American Airlines Temporarily suspended all air connections between U.S. and international airports "David Ben Gurion" in Tel Aviv..
"We will continue to work closely with our partner airlines to offer assistance to those wishing to leave Tel Aviv, assuring passengers and flight crews that safety will remain our top priority," American Airlines said in announcing that the shutdown will be in effect until the coming December 4. will remain in effect until December 4.
In total, more than 40 airlines have canceled scheduled flights to and from Israel.
The Ita Airways Case
The flag carrier Ita Airways, However, it cannot even carry out the repatriation flights that it is operating instead Neos, Italian company of the Alpitour Group.
"We have suspended flights until Saturday for the time being, however, it is a situation we are constantly and daily monitoring and are in close contact with the Foreign Ministry's Crisis Unit. So for the time being, there are no conditions to be able to operate," he said Andrea Benassi, general manager Ita Airways a The 24 Hour Sun - They asked us for the possibility of making so-called rescue flights, we have given our willingness, but since we do not have owned aircraft we have to ask permission from the companies that lease us the aircraft and from the insurance companies."
Authorizations that, according to Benassi, have been Denied for too high a risk related to operations in an area that is a theater of war.
Ita, which had suspended operations until Oct. 14, extended the stop until at least Wednesday, October 18.
Companies that have suspended flights
American was joined by its "sisters" United Airlines, Delta Air Lines. suspension was also decided by Air France-Klm, Lufthansa, Finnair, Tap Air Portugal, and the low-cost carriers Wizz Air, Ryanair e easyJet. Turkish Pegasus Airlines and Turkish have also suspended their operations.
From Asia-Pacific also came suspensions from the Chinese Hainan Airlines, by Korea Air and Cathay Pacific.
Then, in the last few hours, came the stop also from the Egyptian flag carrier, Egypt Air, announced by officials at Cairo International Airport.
Egypt Air normally operates one flight a day between the Egyptian and Israeli capitals. Until yesterday, however, connections from Sharm el-Shiekh to Tel Aviv, useful flights to enable Israeli tourists to return home.
British Airways continued to operate its flights regularly until last Thursday.
On that day, flight BA165 turned back to London Heathrow after almost reaching Tel Aviv. A decision made by the pilot due to safety risks. As a result, the Iag Group airline suspended all flights.
Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv usually has about. 500 transactions per day and about 86 airlines flying to 60 countries around the world.