Airlines Cancel Flights To Israel After Hamas Attack

Airlines scrambled to cancel flights to Israel early on Saturday after Palestinian militants launched a surprise attack, firing thousands of rockets from Gaza into nearby Israeli towns during a Jewish holiday, as reported by Nicole Goodkind for CNN.

As of Saturday afternoon, approximately 16% of flights were canceled, and 23% were delayed to Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s international hub, located just outside of Tel Aviv.

As of Saturday afternoon, approximately 16% of flights were canceled, and 23% were delayed to Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s international hub, located just outside of Tel Aviv.

Some flights bound for Israel were diverted to other airports around the globe. United Airlines flight 954, departing from San Francisco International Airport on Friday night, was diverted over Greenland about seven hours into the more than 13-hour-long journey, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.

The flight later returned to San Francisco.

“The safety of our customers and crews is our top priority,” the airline said in a statement. “We are closely monitoring the situation and adjusting flight schedules as required.”

FlightAware data also show that Delta Air Lines and American Airlines have canceled Israel-bound flights scheduled to depart from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on Saturday and Sunday.

German airline Lufthansa also announced on Saturday that it would drastically reduce flights to Tel Aviv.

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