In response to a surge in Iranian missile attacks over the weekend, Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev has announced new restrictions on flights at Ben-Gurion International Airport. These measures will be enforced starting Monday afternoon.
Following the advice of security officials, the airport will now restrict flights to just one arrival and one departure per hour. Additionally, the number of passengers allowed on departing flights will be reduced from 120 to 50.
“While these measures are inconvenient, the safety of our citizens is our foremost priority,” Regev stated in a press release late Sunday night. She emphasized that the guidelines could change at any moment based on further security assessments.
The new restrictions are expected to disrupt travel plans for thousands of passengers, leading to the cancellation of numerous flights.
Regev also highlighted that since the conflict began last month, 140,000 Israelis have been brought back home through repatriation efforts. These efforts are being led by Israel’s major airlines, including El Al, Israir, Arkia, and Air Haifa.
Since the war against Iran commenced on February 28, international airlines have ceased operations to Israel. Currently, only Israeli carriers are running, primarily focusing on bringing citizens back to the country.
There are no restrictions on land border crossings to Egypt and Jordan, which have served as a gateway to and from Israel over the last three weeks.
Israel’s three smaller carriers have been offering some flights, often on leased airlines, through these airports.
El Al on Monday urged the government to open the small Ramon Airport near the southern Red Sea resort city of Eilat for wartime operations as an alternative to Israel’s main international airport outside of Tel Aviv.
The ongoing war has decimated tourism for the upcoming Passover and Easter holidays, which are typically a high season for travel to and from Israel.
