Concerns voiced by pilot unions led multiple major airlines to stop flights in and out of Israel just days after Hamas’ attack on the country.
The Federal Aviation Administration first warned pilots about the dangerous conditions with a “Notice to Air Missions” sent to pilots on Saturday, which stated there was a “potentially hazardous situation” occurring in the area and “operators are advised to exercise extreme caution,” according to ABC News.
Multiple airlines in the United States have since canceled flights originally scheduled to land at Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), which is located outside Tel Aviv and is the largest airport in Israel.
Delta Airlines confirmed that flights to and from Tel Aviv will be grounded until October 31.
“Our hearts are with those who are impacted as our people work to find safe alternatives for customers trying to depart TLV,” wrote Delta Airlines in a statement sent to The Dallas Express. “Delta will continue to explore options for customers to safely exit TLV via seats that become available on our partner airlines.”
United Airlines also chose to cancel flights, writing in a statement sent to The Dallas Express, “The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority.”
“We operated two scheduled flights out of Tel Aviv late Saturday and early Sunday and accommodated our customers, crews, and employee travelers who were at the airport. Our Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended until conditions allow them to resume,” the airline wrote.
American Airlines sent a similar statement to The Dallas Express, writing that it will “continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed.”
Such decisions come after the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines pilots, said its members should refuse to fly to Israel until they can be “reasonably assured of the region’s safety and security.”
“It is not prudent or appropriate to knowingly put our flight crews and passengers in harm’s way by maintaining flights into a war zone,” wrote union president Ed Sicher in an email to union members.
“Until further notice, if you are scheduled, assigned, or reassigned a pairing into Israel, refuse the assignment by calling your Chief Pilot or IOC Duty Pilot,” Sicher wrote.
Many airlines abroad have also canceled flights originally scheduled for Israel.
Due to safety concerns, Air France has canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice. According to the Associated Press, Air France wrote on its website, “The airline is constantly monitoring the geopolitical situation in the areas served and overflown by its aircraft in order to ensure the highest level of flight safety.”
EasyJet, which offers discount flights across Europe, said it will also stop flights in and out of Tel Aviv until further notice “due to the evolving situation in Israel.”
“Our thoughts are with those who have been affected and the safety and security of our passengers and crew is always EasyJet’s highest priority,” wrote the company in a statement, per the AP.
The Air Line Pilots Association represents more than 74,000 pilots across 42 airlines in the United States and Canada. It said it is working to “ensure the safety of each of [its] members” working for airlines still flying through Israel, as reported by ABC News.
One such airline is British Airways, which said that it will continue flights “over the coming days with adjusted departure times,” per the AP.
