Flights by airlines cease following Houthi missile landing proximity to Israeli airport
Rewritten Article:
Sunday morning witnessed several international airlines suspending their flights to Israel's Ben Gurion international airport, following a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi group. The missile landed near the airport, sending a plume of smoke into the air and causing panic among travelers in the terminal.
According to Reuters, numerous foreign airlines temporarily halted flights to and from Tel Aviv due to the missile attack. El Al Airlines, Israel's national carrier, along with smaller competitors Arkia and Israir, are now left with a near monopoly in the market. Consequently, El Al's shares surged by 7%, and Israir gained 4.1% in a flat Tel Aviv market on that day.
Delta Air Lines decided to scrap Sunday's flight from JFK in New York to Tel Aviv and the return flight from Tel Aviv on Monday, while United cancelled their twice-daily flights between Tel Aviv and Newark as they monitor the situation. Earlier flights from Tel Aviv departed about 90 minutes late due to the incident.
Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels, and Austrian Airlines, announced a halt to flights to and from Tel Aviv until Tuesday in response to the current situation. ITA cancelled flights from Italy to Israel through Wednesday, while Air France suspended flights on Sunday, transferring passengers to flights on Monday. TUS flights to and from Cyprus were cancelled through Monday, and Air India flights from New Delhi halted on Sunday.
Ryanair suspended flights on Sunday, but they are scheduled for Monday as per the Israel Airports Authority. Wizz Air also paused flights during the same period. Aegean, flydubai, and Ethiopian, however, did not cancel flights.
Stranded travelers are dealing with the consequences of the airline cancellations. Michael Sceemes, a 56-year-old passenger whose Air France flight was cancelled, expressed his dismay: "I'm afraid it's going to be very difficult to go back to France because all European carriers, from what I see on the information (board), have cancelled. Lufthansa have cancelled, Swiss have cancelled, Brussels (Airlines), so no connection is possible."
El Al is attempting to help passengers stranded by foreign airlines, reintroducing rescue flights to Israel from Larnaca and Athens for $99 and $149, respectively.
Udi Bar Oz, head of Ben Gurion Airport, reported that the airport was operational less than 30 minutes after the missile hit a road nearby. Claiming responsibility for the strike, the Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, declared that Israel's main airport was "no longer safe for air travel."
The Houthis, who control large portions of Yemen, targeted Israel and Red Sea shipping in late 2023 during the early days of Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to respond to the Houthis, saying, "We attacked in the past, we will attack in the future ... There will be more blows."
In a separate event, the United Nations expressed sadness over a US air strike on an African migrants facility in Yemen.
Additional Insights:
- Following the missile incident, Israel closed the Tsfat Industrial Zone, fearing additional attacks[1].
- According to airlines, since air traffic over the Red Sea presents a risk due to Houthi missile strikes, they have either rerouted their flights or avoided the area altogether[1].
- As an alternative, passengers could opt for land travel via Jordan or Egypt to avoid flying directly into Israel[1].
References:
[1] Haaretz.com, "Yemeni missile lands near Ben-Gurion, causing airport to shut down. "Dozens of flights canceled." May 4, 2025.
[2] Reuters.com, "Yemen's Houthis say hit Israel's Ben Gurion Airport with missile." May 4, 2025.
[3] The Jerusalem Post, "Delta cancels Israel flights through May 11 amid Middle East tension." May 7, 2025.
- Hamas' military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, claimed responsibility for striking Israel's main airport, Ben Gurion, with a missile.
- The missile attack caused several international airlines to suspend flights to Israel's Ben Gurion international airport, leaving El Al, Arkia, and Israir with a near monopoly in the market.
- El Al's shares surged by 7%, and Israir gained 4.1% in a flat Tel Aviv market following the airline suspensions.
- Delta Airlines scrapped Sunday's flight from JFK in New York to Tel Aviv and the return flight from Tel Aviv on Monday.
- United cancelled their twice-daily flights between Tel Aviv and Newark, while Lufthansa Group, ITA, Air France, TUS, and Air India halted flights, citing the current situation.
- Ryanair suspended flights on Sunday but plans to resume them on Monday, according to the Israel Airports Authority.
- Stranded travelers, like Michael Sceemes, face difficulty returning home due to the cancellations of European carriers.
- El Al is offering rescue flights to Israel from Larnaca and Athens for $99 and $149, respectively, to help stranded passengers.
- Following the missile incident, Israel closed the Tsfat Industrial Zone out of fear of additional attacks.
- Airlines fear that air traffic over the Red Sea presents a risk due to Houthi missile strikes, choose to reroute their flights or avoid the area altogether.
- As an alternative, passengers could opt for land travel via Jordan or Egypt to avoid flying directly into Israel.
- In a separate event, the United Nations expressed sadness over a US air strike on an African migrants facility in Yemen. The prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed to respond to the Houthis, saying, "We attacked in the past, we will attack in the future ... There will be more blows."
