The escalation of military tensions in Israel has resulted in major flight disruptions, with several airlines suspending operations due to the ongoing situation.

Hamas fighters killed 700 Israelis and abducted many in Saturday's attacks, prompting Israel to retaliate by striking the Gaza Strip.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways cancelled its flights between the UAE capital and Tel Aviv on October 9, after two days of flight disruptions. In an update posted on its website, the airline stated that Etihad Airways flight EY593/EY594 between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Tel Aviv (TLV) on 09 October had been cancelled “in response to the ongoing issues in Israel”.

The airline further added that passengers booked on these services were being assisted with their travel arrangements, while ‘Etihad is monitoring the situation in Israel and continues to maintain close contact with authorities’.

While Flydubai had also cancelled two flights – FZ 1625/1626 and FZ 1807/1808 – on October 7 and 8, in an email statement to Zawya, a flydubai spokesperson confirmed operations to Tel Aviv from Dubai was on schedule on October 9.

“Flights to Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) today, 09 October, are currently operating to schedule. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and amend our schedule accordingly.”

A spokesperson for Emirates also confirmed the airline’s flights to Tel Aviv are operating without change. “Currently, our three daily services to/from Tel Aviv are operating as scheduled. We have been closely monitoring the situation in Israel since it began, and we are in close contact with the relevant authorities regarding developments,” the spokesperson said, adding: “The situation is dynamic and we are carefully reviewing all factors on an hour-by-hour basis. The safety of our passengers, employees and operations will always be our top priority.”

The UAE opened direct flights to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport following the signing of the Abraham Accords with Israel in September 2020.

Israel’s EL AL, which also flies to Dubai, announced services on October 9 remained on schedule. In an update posted on its official website, the airline stated: “EL AL Airlines operates in accordance with the instructions of the Israeli security forces. Our flights are operated as scheduled. All EL AL flights will depart from Terminal 3 only (including flights which were originally planned to depart from Terminal 1).”

Airlines cancel flights

Major airlines across the world cancelled flights following the recent escalation, with Germany’s flag carrier Lufthansa announcing it had halted all its flights to and from Israel up to and including October 9, while adding in a statement on its website that ‘decisions on the upcoming flight schedule will be made early next week’.

The airline further asked passengers to check the status of their flight to Israel before departing for the airport.

On October 8, Air France also stated it was suspending its services to Tel Aviv until further notice. As a result, flights to and from Tel Aviv on October 8 and 9 remained cancelled. In its official statement, the carrier said commercial measures were in place, allowing customers to postpone or cancel their trip free of charge.

Air India, which flies to Tel Aviv from New Delhi, also took to social media to announce it was suspending flights on the sector. “Our flights to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended till 14th October, 2023, for the safety of our passengers and crew. Air India will extend all possible support to passengers who have confirmed bookings on any flight during this period,” the Indian carrier posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).

China’s Hainan Airlines, the only carrier in China with flights to Israel, also confirmed with the country’s Global Times that it has cancelled the flight between Shanghai and Tel Aviv on Monday due to high tensions while Chinese travel agencies were also quoted as saying they have no travel groups in Israel right now.

British Airways cancelled one flight to Tel Aviv on October 9, with the airline stating online it had implemented a flexible booking policy to allow customers to change their travel plans.

Several US carriers have also suspended operations, with Delta Air Lines posting an advisory that flights until October 14 could be affected with passengers given an option to rebook their travel. American Airlines had also temporarily suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv on October 7 and 8. The airline said it would continue monitoring the situation and make adjustments as needed.

United Airlines also announced it was suspending operations to Tel Aviv from Saturday, with one of its flights from San Francsico forced to turn back en route to the Israeli capital.

Over the weekend, a CNN journalist shared footage of passengers at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport running for cover on the tarmac after a rocket siren sounded just after their flight had landed.

On October 8, Israel's National Security Council also issued a public advisory to refrain from travel.  Alluding to the situation, the NSC wrote: "In light of this, we call on Israelis, at this time, to examine their planned trips abroad and to refrain from traveling, as much as possible, to countries where the travel warning applies, especially the various countries in the Middle East."

(Reporting by Bindu Rai; editing by Seban Scaria)

(bindu.rai@lseg.com)