Airlines and cruise lines in the U.S. and abroad have cancelled flights and redirected ships bound for Israel in the wake of the ongoing conflict in the country.
The fighting, which escalated on Saturday with Hamas’ coordinated attacks all across Israel, has led to a formal declaration of war by Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and more than 1,600 deaths on both sides, according to the Associated Press.
Though Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport remains open, according to Israel’s Airport Authority, the U.S. Department of State has issued a travel advisory for U.S. citizens in Israel, encouraging them to check with their airline if they plan to leave the country, as “several major airlines have announced that they have suspended flights.”
The State Department also urged citizens in Gaza “who wish to leave and can do so safely” to “check the status of the Rafah Crossing into Egypt.”
Flight cancellations include Delta Air Lines, who canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv through the end of the month, and American Airlines, who have canceled through October 21. Both airlines have issued travel waivers for that period.
United Airlines has issued travel waivers for journeys to and from Tel Aviv, Amman, and Jordan through October 14. The airline operated two flights out of Tel Aviv on Saturday and Sunday before suspending them indefinitely.
Many international airlines have also canceled flights, including an indefinite suspension from Air France, who are “monitoring developments in Israel in real time” and Lufthansa Group, whose suspension applies to Tel Aviv through October 14.
However, some airlines, like British Airways, will continue to operate in Israel.
“We are continuing to monitor the situation in Israel very closely and have introduced a flexible booking policy, enabling customers to change their travel dates free of charge if they wish,” a British Airways spokesperson told Travel+Leisure.
Cruise lines, including Carnival and Regent Seven Seas Cruises have confirmed that they will not be stopping in Israel amidst the unrest, with the latter replacing Israeli stops with ports like Istanbul, Turkey.
Featured image from Pexels.com.
