Foreign airlines halt flights to 'Israel', no solution in near future
3 Min Read
The Israeli occupation is adding yet another crisis to the list of crises it is facing, this time the lack of airlines willing to operate within it as missiles before it every other minute.
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Travelers line up for check at Fly Dubai airline counter at Ben Gurion International Airport in al-Lydd, occupied Palestine, Sunday, November 10, 2024 (AP)
Israeli media has reported an ongoing crisis at airports throughout occupied Palestine as most foreign airlines have suspended flights to the occupied territories indefinitely due to the ongoing war. According to Israeli Channel 12, the outlook for resolving the halt in flights remains bleak, with the latest development seeing Air France announcing further delays in resuming flights to the occupied territories.
Channel 12 also highlighted record lows in flights and passenger numbers at Ben Gurion Airport, as foreign carriers continue to cancel services. Many airlines had already suspended flights to occupied Palestine months ago, and recent extensions pushed these suspensions into next year.
Delta Air Lines, for instance, announced it would not resume flights to the Israeli occupation until the end of March 2025, while Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air has extended its suspension of all flights until mid-January 2025. As the largest foreign airline in "Israel," Wizz Air's suspension affects approximately 200 weekly flights to over 20 destinations.
The flight suspensions come amid escalating tensions on multiple fronts. Resistance operations continue against the Israeli occupation from Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq, with strikes targeting deeper areas within "Israel" using advanced missiles and drones. Tensions have also heightened with Iran, which recently launched missile and drone attacks on "Israel" under Operation True Promise 2, which also shut down all air travel.
Most recently, earlier in November, Italian Airlines ITA announced that all its flights to and from "Israel" have been canceled until January 12, 2025.
Air France pulled the same move, suspending incoming and outgoing flights until December 26, 2024.
Non-Israeli airlines continue to postpone their flights to and from Israeli-occupied territories, significantly impacting travel to the region, Israeli daily business and economics newspaper Calcalist reported.
Notably, British Airways announced today that it will not resume its flights to Israeli-occupied airports until the end of March 2025, having halted operations at the beginning of August.
Meanwhile, the Lufthansa Group has decided to extend the suspension of its flights until November 10, following a recent assessment of the situation. This group includes Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, and Brussels Airlines, with its subsidiary, Eurowings, also pausing flights until November 30.
Unprecedented aviation crisis
Calcalist also noted that the escalating crisis in Israeli aviation, spurred by the ongoing deterioration of security, is sending shockwaves through the industry. The situation has made it increasingly difficult to export goods and import essential raw materials needed for production processes in local factories.
The sharp decline in foreign airlines operating in the area has drastically reduced passenger flights and severely impacted air cargo transportation. Last year, air transport costs surged by approximately 200%, and alongside rising prices, the availability of flights has diminished significantly, particularly in the last two months.
Additionally, shipments of goods and raw materials intended for Israeli companies have been stuck in airports worldwide for weeks. Local exporters tasked with delivering products to customers abroad are struggling to find available flights to meet their delivery commitments.
