Major airlines suspend Tel Aviv routes after missile lands near Ben Gurion Airport
- Yemen's Sanaa International Airport is currently inoperable following an Israeli airstrike.
- Ben Gurion Airport in Israel remains open, but several airlines have temporarily suspended flights.
- The U.S. State Department advises against travel to Gaza and Yemen, and recommends reconsidering travel to Israel and the West Bank.
Yemen's main airport has been incapacitated and a number of flights at Israel's main international airport have been halted following airstrikes amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
On Sunday, a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels towards Israel landed near Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. The Houthis have been firing at Israel and at shipping in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians ever since Israel began its military offensive against Hamas in Gaza over the Palestinian militant group's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
On Tuesday, Israel Defense Forces carried out an airstrike on Yemen's main airport, "fully disabling" Sanaa International Airport, which was targeted for Houthi infrastructure, according to the Israeli military, which warned people to leave the area ahead of time. All Sanaa flights have been suspended until further notice.
Meanwhile, as of Friday, the website for Israel's Ben Gurion Airport says the airport is "working as planned." However, a number of global airlines have temporarily paused service.
AEGEAN AIRLINES - The Greek airline said it would cancel its flights to Tel Aviv until May 13 as well as the early morning flight on May 14.
AIRBALTIC - Latvia's airBaltic said it had cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv until May 11.
AIR EUROPA - The Spanish airline has cancelled its flights to and from Tel Aviv until May 9.
DELTA AIR LINES - The U.S. carrier said its flights to and from Tel Aviv may be impacted between May 4 and May 25.
IBERIA EXPRESS - IAG's low-cost airline, Iberia Express, has cancelled flights to Tel Aviv until May 31.
ITA AIRWAYS - The Italian carrier has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until May 11, as well as two flights scheduled for May 12.
KLM - KLM has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until May 30.
LOT - The Polish carrier has suspended flights to Tel Aviv until May 11.
LUFTHANSA - The German airline group has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv through May 11.
RYANAIR - Europe's biggest budget airline has cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv until May 11.
UNITED AIRLINES - The Chicago-based airline said its flights to and from Tel Aviv may be impacted between May 4 and May 11.
WIZZ AIR - The Hungary-based airline has cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv until May 12.
Additionally, Air France cancelled flights on May 4. Air India suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until May 8. IAG-owned British Airways also canceled flights through May 8.
Foreign airlines had begun to resume flights to Israel after a ceasefire deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in January. Many carriers had halted them for much of the last year and a half since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
The U.S. State Department advises travelers not to travel to Gaza or Yemen due to terrorism and armed conflict and to reconsider travel to Israel and the West Bank due to terrorism and civil unrest.
Contributing: Mohammed Ghobari, Reuters; Eve Chen, Paste BN