Following the Israeli strikes on Iran overnight Friday, Ben Gurion Airport has been shut down, halting all incoming and outgoing flights. The closure—part of the launch of Operation Rising Lion against Iran’s nuclear program—has caused chaos for tens of thousands of Israelis abroad, with many reporting a lack of information and assistance from airlines.
With the start of the operation, an El Al flight from New York to Tel Aviv was rerouted to Rome and El Al flights from Milan, London, Barcelona and Tbilisi were redirected to Paphos, as was an Arkia flight from New York.
An Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv, carrying Israeli passengers, was diverted to Cairo. An Etihad Airways flight returned to Abu Dhabi, and a United Airlines flight turned back to New York.
Israeli passengers worldwide report feeling uncertain and lacking guidance from their airlines.
Miri, a passenger stranded in Tbilisi, Georgia, told Ynet: “We were supposed to fly home this morning on a Sundor flight. I’m part of a group of 50 people, and none of us has received any notice about the cancellation.”
“We don’t have clothes to change. Some people need medication, and some observe Shabbat. From Ynet’s reporting, we understood that El Al flights were canceled today, so we booked a hotel ourselves, but we don’t know for how long. We’re very confused and have no idea how long this will last.”
Einat, vacationing with friends in Rhodes, found herself in a similar situation. “We were supposed to fly with El Al today, but it looks like all the flights were canceled. No one told us what’s happening now or how long this will go on. We don’t know who’s arranging hotels for us, who’s paying for it or anything.”
'Flights to and from Israel grounded'
As part of the launch of Operation Rising Lion targeting Iran’s nuclear program, Israel closed its airspace, and Ben Gurion Airport was completely evacuated. Airlines announced the cancellation of all flights, with the departure board fully marked in red.
El Al announced in a statement the suspension of all its flights to and from Israel: “We apologize for the inconvenience and hope for quieter, better days soon.”
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El Al announced the suspension of all fights to and from Israel
(Photo: Ronen Fefer / Shutterstock)
The airline later added that "all El Al flights scheduled to depart for Israel tonight and tomorrow are canceled until further notice. We urge passengers to arrange accommodations abroad until there is a change in the security instructions. Flights that were en route to Israel have been diverted to alternative El Al destinations. Flights scheduled to depart from Israel are also canceled until further notice.”
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In response to the situation, the carrier announced that customers who booked their tickets by June 13, 2025, and hold tickets for flights scheduled through June 28, 2025 (inclusive), may cancel their tickets and receive a credit voucher for future travel. Additionally, new bookings for flights through June 22, 2025, have been suspended in the reservation system until the security situation becomes clearer, with the goal of prioritizing Israeli passengers whose flights home have been canceled.
Arkia said in a statement that: “Due to the security situation and guidance from the Home Front Command and aviation authorities, Arkia has been forced to suspend its flight operations until further notice.”
Israir advised that “passengers who were scheduled to depart from Ben Gurion Airport are asked to remain at home and not come to the airport. Updates on the reopening of Israeli airspace will be given at least six hours in advance through media channels. After that, passengers can check updated flight times on the Israir website and the Airports Authority website.”