U.S.
United and Delta cancel flights to Israel amid escalating conflict
By
The Washington Post August 1, 2024
Anika Arora Seth and Frances Vinall
The Washington Post August 1, 2024
People gaze at the Mediterranean Sea from an outdoor cafe in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (Heidi Levine for The Washington Post)
United Airlines and Delta Air Lines canceled flights to Israel starting on Wednesday, in the aftermath of the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.
Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran early Wednesday morning, intensifying fears that the conflict in the Middle East could escalate beyond its current borders. Although Hamas and Iran accused Israel of killing the Palestinian militant group’s leader, Israel has not claimed responsibility.
United Airlines said it canceled its daily flight to Tel Aviv for “security reasons,” starting with the Wednesday flight from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey that was scheduled to depart at 3:30 p.m.
“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,” it said in an email.
Delta canceled flights from New York to Tel Aviv starting on Wednesday, until at least Friday, according to a public statement. The airline said travel waivers would be issued to all customers who booked travel to or from Tel Aviv to depart before Aug. 14.
Cancellations were already taking place across the region, after a strike last Saturday on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 children and teenagers, leading to an anticipated escalation in violence.
Germany’s Lufthansa Group said Monday that three of its airlines - Lufthansa, Swiss and Eurowings - suspended flights to and from Beirut through Aug. 5, the Associated Press reported. Air France canceled some flights, while other airlines changed their schedules.
On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department warned against travel to northern Israel within 2.5 miles of the Lebanese and Syrian borders. It upgraded its Lebanon travel advisory from a Level 3 warning to a Level 4, telling people “do not travel” on the basis of “rising tensions” between Hezbollah and Israel.
The United Kingdom, Australia and Canada are among the countries also warning against travel to parts of Israel and Lebanon.
On Wednesday, Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong urged all Australians in Lebanon to leave now because of the possibility of commercial flights ceasing and Beirut’s airport closing if the security situation deteriorates. “If that happens, the government may not be able to help Australians still in Lebanon to evacuate,” she warned.