Israel Matzav

Delta, Lufthansa extend flight ban

The FAA isn't due to weigh in until around 7:00 tonight Israel time, but Delta and Lufthansa have already decided to extend the ban on flights to Israel.

Germany's Lufthansa on Wednesday suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv for an additional 24 hours. The decision also applies to Germanwings, Austrian Airlines, Swiss and Brussels Airlines.

"At the present time no adequate authoritative new information is available that would justify a resumption of flights. In close coordination with the responsible authorities Lufthansa is continually evaluating the safety situation for its total flight network," the company said.

On Tuesday, it suspended flights for 36 hours following a decision by America's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to suspend travel to and from Israel. A rocket had fallen in a house in Yehud, a residential area near the airport, earlier in the day.

Delta Air Lines will also extend its suspension of flights to Israel on Wednesday amid hostilities between Israel and the militant group Hamas, its chief executive said on CNBC.

"Today ... we are not flying to Israel," Delta CEO Richard Anderson said in an interview with CNBC.

His comments come a day after air carriers in the United States and Europe halted flights to Tel Aviv as turmoil in Israel and the Gaza Strip intensified.

The FAA on Tuesday said it told US carriers they were prohibited from flying to or from Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for up to 24 hours, citing "the potentially hazardous situation created by the armed conflict in Israel and Gaza."

At least Delta is consistent.

"We will not allow a flight to be dispatched over Iran, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan or North Korea," he told CNBC. "We make this decision wholly independent of any geopolitical or regulatory mandate."

But it really is safe to fly here. 

Labels: Ben Gurion Airport, Delta Airlines, Hamas rockets, Operation Protective Edge

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:17 PM