The European Commission and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) last night discussed and reaffirmed the recommendation for airlines not to fly to Israel until 31 October. After discussions, Air France announced that it would extend the cancellation of its flights to Israel until October 13, and Wizz Air extended its cancellations until October 15. “The company is in contact with all its affected customers and continues to closely monitor the situation,” Wizz Air said.
The EU recommendation was made shortly after the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah due to concerns about a military confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah.
At the time, the European Aviation Safety Agency wrote: “A comprehensive intensification of air strikes and a deterioration in the security situation have been observed, affecting the safety of the airspace over Israel and Lebanon. In this context, the European Commission and the European Aviation Safety Agency decided to issue CZIB recommendations against doing so.” It operates within the airspace of Lebanon and Israel at all levels of aviation.
Thus, the European Aviation Safety Agency, in its recommendation, created a similarity between Beirut and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, despite the advanced air defense systems protecting Israel’s main international airport.
Even when Israeli airspace was closed, as happened during Iranian missile attacks in April and last week, Ben Gurion Airport was not bombed and flights resumed within several hours of the attacks.
The Israeli Civil Aviation Authority met with the European Aviation Safety Agency last week in an attempt to reach an agreement to lift its recommendation, but to no avail. The European Aviation Safety Agency’s recommendation came amid a wave of flight cancellations, and led many European airlines, which had been hesitant, to suspend their flights to Israel.
Among the airlines that announced the cancellation of their flights at that time were Wizz Air and Blue Bird, which have maintained relative stability in their operations in Israel throughout the recent period. Air Europa also canceled its flights in the wake of the recommendation and has shown no signs of resuming. However, Cypriot airline TUS, which canceled flights after the recommendation, has resumed flights to Israel, partly because it is partly owned by Israelis who have lobbied for the resumption of flights.
Who canceled and who appealed
Azerbaijan Airlines canceled its flights until October 12.
Air France and Aegean flights have been canceled until October 13.
Wizz Air, Air Baltic and Air Europe flights have been canceled until 15 October.
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Vueling and ITA flights have been canceled until October 26.
British Airways and LOT have canceled flights until 27 October.
The Lufthansa Group, including Swiss, Austrian, Brussels and Eurowings, as well as Delta, Iberia Express and Bulgarian Airlines, has canceled flights until October 31.
Other airlines, including easyJet, Ryanair, KLM, United, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Air India and Turkish Airlines, have also announced cancellations of long-haul flights.
Airlines still flying to and from Israel include El Al, Israir, Arkia, Etihad, Flydubai, TUS, Smartwings, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Seychelles, Hainan, Uzbek Airways, Azimuth, Georgia Airlines, Red Wings, Tarom, Hi Sky, Biz Airlines.
Published by Globes, Israel Business News – en.globes.co.il – on October 8, 2024.
© Copyright Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2024.
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