Posted on 07/22/2014 11:37:42 AM PDT by Nachum
Delta said it suspended service to and from its New York JFK hub "until further notice," while the Israel Airports Authority would only confirm that the carriers had suspended flight scheduled for Monday. US Airways has not yet released a statement.There is an answer, but so far only El Al has bought into it. American Airlines (which recently merged with USAir) decided six years ago that the solution was too expensive.United announced it was also suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice.
Transportation Minister called on American aviation companies to return to normal functioning, stressing that Ben-Gurion airport was safe from for take-offs and landings, and that there was no security concern for passenger planes."There is no reason for the American companies to stop their flight and give a prize to terror," he said.
Though media had reported that the US Federal Aviation Authority had ordered the cancellations, it did not issue any new guidance on flying through the region. The airline companies had acted on their own authority.
An order from the FAA could have had far greater repercussions for Israel's economy.
"As soon as the FAA gives such an order to US carriers, in most cases it's a domino effect, and most European carriers will be forced to suspend their flights," said an industry source.Regardless, the source added, "This is a huge coup for Hamas."
Tourism accounts for about 5% of Israel's exports, and has already declined as a result of the rocket fire from Gaza.
According to Channel 2, Israeli and American flight officials are reportedly trying to come to an understanding regarding the US concerns over rocket fire.
Israel contends that the Iron Dome rocket defense system, which has proven to be 90% effective during Operation Protective Edge, is also capable of intercepting projectiles in the area of Ben-Gurion Airport.
The rocket which landed in the courtyard of a home in Yehud on Tuesday, causing damage and leaving two people lightly injured, marked the first direct hit in the greater Tel Aviv area since the Gaza operation began more than two weeks ago.
"The FAA immediately notified US carriers when the agency learned of the rocket strike and informed them that the agency was finalizing a [Notice to Airmen]" prohibiting the flights.The US issued a travel warning against traveling to Israel or Gaza this morning. Nevertheless, over 200 North American immigrants arrived here today....
Delta diverted flight 468 from JFK with 273 passengers and 17 crew, Paris-Charles de Gaulle "after reports of a rocket or associated debris near the airport in Tel Aviv," and said that it was working to re-accommodate its customers.
While the FAA does not have jurisdiction over European or other international air carriers, the decision may lead to other cancellations.
"As soon as the FAA gives such an order to US carriers, in most cases it's a domino effect, and most European carriers will be forced to suspend their flights," said an industry source. "This is a huge coup for Hamas."
Air France suspended all flights to and from Israel due to "security reasons linked to the evolution of the local situation," Reuters quoted an airline spokesman as saying.
Lufthansa, Swiss Air, and KLM also suspended flights to Ben Gurion.
No. This is a very lucrative route. I flew it a month ago on Delta and the planes were totally full going and coming. This is an excess of caution but understandable considering what happened last week.
If the U.S. administration was really worried about Tel Aviv, they would just advise diverting to Haifa.
This ban is entirely political, a slap to Israel for defending itself and a boost to Hamas terrorism.
No, it’s not an Obama plot. The attack may have been supported by Obama, but closing the airport is reasonable and maybe even a little overdue. Some pilots have been refusing to fly that route and I’m sure a lot of passengers have cancelled.
The Tel Aviv airport has been a target for some time, and unfortunately Hamas has been having unprecedented success in this latest attack. They tried shelling the airport last week but the missiles met the Iron Dome. However, this week somehow they managed to get one through.
I was supposed to be visiting the Holy Land in October, and I’m hoping this will have calmed down by then. But if not, I’m not going.
I posted it ...
Fallacy of literalism.
Seriously? Have you missed the recent events in Ukraine???
Take off the tin foil ... it's to prevent another passenger jet from being blown out of the sky.
This is blackmail by Obama pure and simple. We will ruin your tourism economy if you do not agree to a ceasefire on our terms. What Bibi must do is double down, throw more troops into Gaza, wipe out Hamas and do it fast with overwhelming force. Then there will be no missile fear excuse that OBama and his EU cohorts can use to not fly into Israel if Hamas has no more missiles or is out of business in Gaza. Of course Obama will pour money into Gaza to rebuild it. He is already doing so at our taxpayer’s expense.
Funny. Even atheists that visit Israel are impressed. Even people with especially small minds are impressed.
God Bless and keep Israel safe.
I think if all flights to and from Russia were halted, including banning Russian airline flights to the West, they would quickly allow Western experts to examine the crash sight and the flight recorders. And not to mention sealing off of the crash site and preventing looters from gaining access to it.
What pilots have refused to fly to Tel Aviv? Are you thinking about United a few weeks ago? That was something different.
I sense something big is going to happen in regards to cleaning out the rat’s nest called Gaza.
I guess I missed the FDA’s ban on flights to Ukraine.
Wake up and smell the anti-Semitism eminating from the Obama administration. The stench is pretty strong.
Um, yeah, exactly.
As I said, the Israelis have their act together. So if a plane got blown out if the sky it wouldn’t be them doing it.
Hamas, on the other hand, could very well do it out of shear stupidity (like how they dropped all those power lines thst brought electricity to their own people in a rocket attack a few days back. That would seriously mess with Hamas’ public image.
And the worry probably isn’t Hamas blowing a plane outbof the sky (although they probably do have manpads that could be used on arriving and departing planes if they could get close enough), as it is them dropping a rocket onto one that’s sitting on the Ben-Gurion tarmac.
Blown out of the sky by what? A mortar? A Grad? Get a grip. If Hamas had SAMs they would have used them already to keep their commanders safe. They would have shot down IAF F16s.
I sense something big is going to happen in the next few days against Hamas.
B”H it will be the sky over Gaza turned to brass, and the land made desolate.
TLV is at least 50 miles from possible Gaza launch sites. That would require a SAM. Hamas does not have SAM systems.
This ban is political.
I agree with pretty much everything you said except the implication that everyone should visit all the time. I don’t see that as practical or rational at a time of war.
Wish I had had a chance to visit.
Closest I actually got was Ephesus, Turkey.
I am of half Jewish ancestry.
YET
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