El Al has canceled its planned direct route to Hanoi, Vietnam, just two months before its scheduled launch, saying it was forced to do so because required security approvals were not granted.
Ticket sales had already been underway for months, and El Al first announced the new Hanoi route in February. The airline said the decision followed notification from Israeli security authorities, operating under Shin Bet guidelines and responsible for securing Israeli aviation, that the necessary approvals could not be granted for flights operated with Israeli aircraft and crews.
Won't get to Vietnam anytime soon
(Photo: Dani Sadeh)
By contrast, Arkia, which already operates flights to Hanoi, is expected to continue flying to the Vietnamese capital.
El Al said it had received preliminary approvals from the relevant authorities, including security officials, before announcing the route. “After we completed the operational and commercial preparations and invested enormous resources, we were informed by the security authorities that the flights could not be approved,” the airline said. “Without the necessary security approvals to operate the route as planned, we were left with no choice but to cancel its launch.”
El Al apologized to passengers who had purchased tickets and said it would offer a flexible change policy. Customers will be able to fly to Hanoi via Bangkok with an onward flight on a foreign airline at no additional cost, switch to another El Al destination on the same dates without an additional fee, receive a full refund or opt for a credit voucher for future use.
Passengers have not yet received individual cancellation notices. El Al said the flights would be canceled gradually according to their scheduled departure dates, with customers set to receive dedicated notifications beginning next week.