U.S. Airlines, Air France and Lufthansa Suspend Flights to Tel Aviv
A rocket fired from Gaza hit north of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport on Tuesday, police said, prompting U.S. and European airlines to suspend flights to and from Israel.
"A house was damaged in a rocket strike in the Kiryat Ono Yehud region, several kilometers (miles) from the airport," police spokeswoman Luba Samri told Agence France Presse.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later banned U.S. airlines from flying to and from Israel for at least 24 hours amid safety concerns sparked by the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
The U.S. government agency said its prohibition applied only to U.S. air carriers, and that "updated instructions" would be issued "as soon as conditions permit."
Delta, U.S. Airways and United Airlines had earlier halted flights to and from Tel Aviv's main Ben Gurion International Airport.
"Due to the potentially hazardous situation created by the armed conflict in Israel and Gaza, all flight operations to/from Ben Gurion International Airport by U.S. operators are prohibited until further advised," said the FAA's Notice to Airmen, or NOTAM, issued shortly after 1600 GMT.
"This NOTAM will be updated within 24 hours," it added.
In a press statement, the FAA said it immediately notified U.S. carriers when it learned of the rocket strike, informing them that a NOTAM was in the works.
Prior to the NOTAM being issued, however, Delta announced it had diverted a Tel Aviv-bound flight to Paris after "reports of a rocket or associated debris" near the airport.
"Delta, in coordination with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, is doing so to ensure the safety and security of our customers and employees," it said in a statement.
U.S. Airways meanwhile told AFP in a Twitter exchange it had canceled its flights Tuesday between Philadelphia and Tel Aviv "in response to security concerns" at Ben Gurion airport.
And United said: "We're suspending operations to/from Tel Aviv until further notice. We'll continue to evaluate the situation."
It was more discreet on its website, where it said its two flights Tuesday to Tel Aviv from Newark airport outside New York had been "canceled due to aircraft availability."
Delta said its diverted flight Tuesday was a Boeing 747 with 273 passengers as well as 17 crew on board, and that it was "working to reaccommodate these customers."
Later on, Air France also said that it was suspending its flights to Tel Aviv, joining a host of airlines to stop service to Israel because of the deadly Gaza conflict.
The French carrier said it was suspending service "until further notice."
And Germany's Lufthansa as well said it was suspending service to Tel Aviv for 36 hours over security concerns.
The German carrier said it was taking the step "for the security of passengers and crew" amid the "unstable situation" at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport.
Affected passengers could choose to either be reimbursed or could exchange their tickets, it said.
Brussels Airlines cancelled one flight late on Tuesday and three flights on Wednesday.
Fears of a rocket hitting a passenger airliner have surged worldwide after last week's downing of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 over eastern Ukraine with nearly 300 on board.
That incident underscored the vulnerability of commercial aircraft to surface-to-air missiles, even at cruising altitudes in excess of 30,000 feet.
Source: Agence France Presse
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