The first rescue flights bringing stranded travelers back to Israel landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday morning after five days of a complete closure of the country’s airspace.
An El Al flight from Athens touched down first, followed minutes later by an Israir flight from Rome. Additional rescue flights operated by Arkia and Air Haifa are expected to arrive later in the day.
The flights are operating under a special rescue framework allowing up to two narrow-body aircraft to land per hour. Authorities may later allow either two narrow-body planes or one wide-body aircraft per hour, subject to approval from the Home Front Command and other security officials.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev spoke with the captain of the first El Al rescue flight shortly before landing.
“We wish you a safe landing. With God’s help we will bring all Israelis home safely,” Regev said.
Before departure, the El Al captain told passengers the flight marked a significant moment after days in which commercial aviation was halted.
“Welcome to this El Al flight to Tel Aviv. This is the first rescue flight to land at Ben Gurion, and for all of us it is an emotional and meaningful moment after five days in which the country’s skies were closed to commercial flights,” he said.
El Al said the flight from Athens followed extensive operational preparations carried out by the airline in recent days and is the first in a series of rescue flights planned over the coming 24 hours.
The airline expects to operate rescue flights from about 22 destinations worldwide, including cities in Europe, the United States and Thailand.
Israir plans rescue flights from Rome, Berlin, Rovaniemi in Finland, Athens and Batumi. Air Haifa and Arkia are also expected to participate in returning stranded travelers to Israel.
The airlines are expected to continue operating rescue flights through the weekend, depending on operational needs and the number of passengers waiting to return.
El Al has not yet announced whether it will operate flights on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. According to people familiar with the matter, the airline is waiting to assess how many passengers — particularly humanitarian cases — can be returned to Israel before the Sabbath begins.