British Airways cancels Tel Aviv flights amid Israel-Hezbollah tension

by · Mail Online

British Airways has cancelled all flights to and from Tel Aviv in response to the recent security escalation between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The airline company said it is temporarily suspending flights to the region and will resume its services there in 48 hours.

In total, 16 airlines have suspended flights to and from Israel, including Virgin Atlantic, EasyJet and Ryanair.

Wizz Air and Azerbaijan Airlines also joined BA in temporarily cancelling flights to Tel Aviv.

It comes after Israel's brutal bombardment of targets across Lebanon prompted a mass exodus with tens of thousands of citizens fleeing their homes yesterday even as IDF bombs continued to fall overnight.

British Airways has cancelled all flights to and from Tel Aviv in response to the recent escalation between Israel and Hezbollah
A BA spokesperson said: 'Safety is always our top priority, and we're contacting customers to advise them of their travel options.' Pictured: a stock image of the coastline of Tel Aviv
A look at the empty flight calendar if you try to book a flight with BA to Tel Aviv

Airlines that have suspended flights to and from Israel 

United Airlines (U.S.): Until further notice

Croatia Airlines (Croatia): Until further notice

Air Baltic (Latvia): Until September 17

Transavia (Netherlands): Until September 20

LOT Polish Airlines (Poland): Until September 25

Wizz Air: Until September 25

Virgin Atlantic: Until September 25

British Airways (U.K.): Until September 26

Lufthansa Group: Until October 14

Air India (India): Until October 24

Ryanair (Ireland): Until October 27

Vueling (Spain): Until the end of October

Delta Airlines (U.S.): Until December 31

Air Canada (Canada): Until December 31

EasyJet (U.K.): Until the end of March 2025

American Airlines (U.S.): Until April 2025

Some 492 people were killed, including more than 90 women and children, in yesterday's round-the-clock attacks that devastated huge swathes of territory in the south and east of the country. 

Lebanon's health ministry put yesterday's death toll at 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women, with 1,645 people injured - a staggering one-day toll for a country still reeling from a deadly attack on Hezbollah communication devices last week. 

There have been four waves of flight cancellations since the start of the October 7 attack, including the start of the war, the Iranian attack on Israel and the targeted assasinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

The current cancellations comes after thousands of communications devices, used mainly by Hezbollah members, exploded in different parts of Lebanon last week, killing 39 people and wounding nearly 3,000, many of them civilians. 

Lebanon blamed Israel, but Israel did not confirm or deny responsibility.

In a statement, BA said: 'We've been continually monitoring the situation in the Middle East and have taken the operational decision to cancel our flights to and from Tel Aviv, up to and including, Wednesday, 25 September'. 

The airline added: 'Safety is always our top priority, and we're contacting customers to advise them of their travel options'. 

Hezbollah began firing into Israel a day after the October 7 attack in what it said was an attempt to pin down Israeli forces to help Palestinian fighters in Gaza.

Israel has retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict has steadily intensified.

Hezbollah has said it will keep up attacks until there is a ceasefire in Gaza, but that appears increasingly elusive as the war nears its anniversary. 

Smokes rise, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Tyre, southern Lebanon September 23, 2024
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes on villages in the Nabatiyeh district on Monday, Sep 23
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024
Photo taken on Sept. 23, 2024 shows fires caused by rockets attacks from Lebanon, near Safed, in northern Israel
A hand shows the destroyed pager or paging device that exploded on September 17, 2024

Read More

Israel unleashed pager attack earlier than expected in 'use it or lose it moment'

Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250.

Some 100 captives are still held in Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead, after most of the rest were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November.

Israel's offensive has killed over 41,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.

It says women and children make up a little over half of those killed.