Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have suspended flights to Tel Aviv after Iran vowed revenge against Israel following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in a precision-targeted missile attack on his home in Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
United Airlines was due to operate two flights between Newark and Tel Aviv on Wednesday afternoon, but both services have now been scrapped due to the deteriorating security situation in the region.
The airline told passengers: “Your flight is cancelled due to unrest in the Middle East. Your safety is our first priority. We know this impacts your plans, and we are sorry for the inconvenience.”
Delta Air Lines was due to operate one flight from New York JFK to Tel Aviv on Wednesday afternoon, but the airline told passengers that the service had been cancelled due to “security reasons” and for the “safety of our passengers and crew”.
The decision to scrap Tel Aviv flights came on the same day that the US State Department issued a travel advisory warning American citizens in Israel to avoid the border with Lebanon and Syria due to rising tensions between Hezbollah and Israel.
The State Department is also advising American citizens to reconsider all travel to Israel due to the “unpredictable” security situation and has warned of mortar and rocket fire that might take place without warning.
A second air strike by Israel in Beirut also killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, and security analysts believe that some sort of military response from the Lebanese paramilitary group is all but certain.
The extent of that response remains to be seen, although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to calm jittery nerves in Israel, saying in the televised address to the nation on Wednesday night that the country was “prepared for any scenario”.
In April, United Airlines was caught short when it had pilots and flight attendants stranded in Tel Aviv when Iran launched its first-ever drone and missile attack on Israel.
In the lead-up to the attack, airspace in the region was closed, and United Airlines was forced to cancel a flight that would have picked up its crew members. In the end, the airline managed to evacuate its crew out of Israel on another airline’s plane.
Following the Hamas terror atrocity inflicted upon Israel by Hamas last October, United immediately suspended flights to the country, but it was also the first US carrier to resume non-stop services in March.
United once again resumed flights to Tel Aviv in early May, and Delta Air Lines followed suit in June.
Unlike some European carriers, Delta and United have its pilots and flight attendants stay overnight in Tel Aviv, adding extra complexity to keeping crew members safe in the region’s dynamic security arena.
In a statement, a spokesperson for United Airlines told us on Wednesday: “Beginning with this evening’s flight from Newark Liberty to Tel Aviv, we are suspending for security reasons our daily Tel Aviv service as we evaluate our next steps.”
“We continue to closely monitor the situation and will make decisions on resuming service with a focus on the safety of our customers and crews.”
The airline did not indicate when it might resume flights to Tel Aviv. Delta Air Lines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
