Posted on 07/23/2014 12:15:58 PM PDT by Star Traveler
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Israeli Ministry of Transportation on Wednesday offered to open an airport in the southern Israeli city of Eilat to international flights after a slew of international carriers pulled flights to Tel Aviv out of safety concerns, Israeli media said.
A report on Israel's Channel 10 highlighted that Israel had exerted major efforts in the last 24 hours to convince international companies to resume flights to Ben Gurion airport, which many European and US carriers halted after a Gaza rocket landed in the nearby town of Yehud.
The cancellation of dozens of flights in and out of Tel Aviv sparked ire in Israel, where it was seen by many as a victory for Hamas' effort to shut down daily life in the country.
(Excerpt) Read more at maannews.net ...
A quote from yesterday ...
Israel Transportation Minister: Cancellation of Flights to Israel Gives a ‘Prize to Terror’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3183687/posts?page=35
On Tuesday, four major U.S. airline carriers announced their decision to cancel flights heading to Israel indefinitely, one specifically citing the danger of Gaza rocket attacks near Israel’s Ben Gurion airport.
Shortly afterwards, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it told all U.S. airlines that flights to the airport are prohibited for 24 hours, according to The Associated Press.
A quote from today ...
http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Lufthansa-Delta-extend-flight-bans-to-Israel-368616
Lufthansa, Delta, US Airways extend flight bans to Israel along with US Federal Aviation Administration along with most European airlines.
The FAA on Tuesday said it told US carriers they were prohibited from flying to or from Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for up to 24 hours, citing “the potentially hazardous situation created by the armed conflict in Israel and Gaza.” The FAA later extended the ban by another 24 hours on Wednesday evening.
The decision to halt flights to Israel follows the downing last week of a Malaysia Airlines jet over Ukraine with nearly 300 aboard.
Germany’s Lufthansa on Wednesday suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv for an additional 24 hours. The decision also applies to Germanwings, Austrian Airlines, Swiss and Brussels Airlines.
“At the present time no adequate authoritative new information is available that would justify a resumption of flights. In close coordination with the responsible authorities Lufthansa is continually evaluating the safety situation for its total flight network,” the company said.
Probably won’t be sufficient because it does not address the root reason for the FAA NOTAM - punishment of Israel.
Tel Aviv is safe, as Israelis I’m sure have done their homework adjusting and re-adjusting flight paths and cascaded altitudes, tuned their radars, and manned their anti-missile stations.
If I was paranoid, I’d think the real purpose of this ban is to cripple Israel’s economy and put pressure on Israel to surrender to Hamas.
One the one hand the E.U. and the U.S. declare Palestinian rockets to be of little actual threat to the Israelis. Then they cancel all flights based on just one of these rockets coming close to the Ben Gurion airport.
These rockets are said to be of little threat to Israelis. Now they’re a massive deal killer threat to huge aircraft.
So which is it? Are they a threat or not big (U.S. and E.U.) mouths?
There’s a whole lot of lying going on here.
My take is that the FAA and the E.U. are using this as a punitive measure against Israel. What else can it be if even our own John Kerry is willing to fly in?
Our government and it’s agencies are incredibly corrupt.
You don’t have to be paranoid. You only need a mid-level IQ and some common sense. I agree with you.
It’s a safety issue according to Air Canada ...
Air Canada cancels Tel Aviv flight over safety concerns
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3184119/posts
Air Canada has cancelled its scheduled flight to Tel Aviv from Toronto Tuesday night, following the lead of other airlines concerned about rocket fire near Ben Gurion Airport.
Air Canada had a flight scheduled to leave for Tel Aviv from Toronto at 6:10 p.m. ET. The airline will continue to evaluate the situation and provide updates as needed, a spokeswoman said.
The return flight to Toronto from Tel Aviv for Wednesday, July 23, has also been cancelled, the carrier confirmed.
In response to a CBC News query, Transport Canada said the suspensions of flights to Israel are decisions taken by airlines themselves.
“For more information you should contact the carriers directly,” senior communications adviser Ben Stanford said in an email to CBC News.
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines also suspended flights to Israel indefinitely Tuesday after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed near Tel Aviv’s airport, wounding one Israeli.
According to these quotes, they are exercising judicious caution ...
Germany’s Lufthansa on Wednesday suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv for an additional 24 hours. The decision also applies to Germanwings, Austrian Airlines, Swiss and Brussels Airlines.
“At the present time no adequate authoritative new information is available that would justify a resumption of flights. In close coordination with the responsible authorities Lufthansa is continually evaluating the safety situation for its total flight network,” the company said.
— — —
Air Canada has cancelled its scheduled flight to Tel Aviv from Toronto Tuesday night, following the lead of other airlines concerned about rocket fire near Ben Gurion Airport.
Air Canada had a flight scheduled to leave for Tel Aviv from Toronto at 6:10 p.m. ET. The airline will continue to evaluate the situation and provide updates as needed, a spokeswoman said.
The return flight to Toronto from Tel Aviv for Wednesday, July 23, has also been cancelled, the carrier confirmed.
In response to a CBC News query, Transport Canada said the suspensions of flights to Israel are decisions taken by airlines themselves.
— — —
The links are above ...
The Brit Intel is damn good. They evacuated Libya two days before Benghazi.
These airlines can say whatever they want, but they can’t go against the FAA. The FAA simply told them to say it was their decision. That’s my take on it.
Yeah, the last I read, they were still flying there.
..................
Doesn't matter. Economic pressure is the issue, not passenger safety. A big boost to BDS
Related threads
Thanks for your posts. Not trying to be argumentative.
IMO this is propagandist and commerce war against Israel by the West.
The FAA doesn’t have authority over Air Canada or Lufthansa.
I think you’re extending this into something it isn’t. Airlines themselves were canceling flights before the FAA even uttered a word. In addition, airlines that the FAA has no authority over in their own countries are citing safety concerns.
In Canada, who is one of the strongest supporters of Israel in the world, has Air Canada there saying that they’ve suspended flights because of safety concerns.
I didn’t see one airline cancel flights into Israel until after the FAA advisory. Perhaps it happened and you notice it. I didn’t.
One of the flakey missiles Israel has been accused of blowing all out of proportion across the globe, and now that’s enough to stop all air flights?
Something stinks here...
The poster has been told repeatedly by numerous FReepers that this is propaganda, but he keeps it up.
Thanks TzFat...
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