Oct 7, 20232 min read

INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES CANCEL ALL FLIGHTS TO AND FROM ISRAEL

(The Situation Update Report [SUR] is a near real-time brief of a possible threat or situation being monitored by The Counter Threat Center. The information is accurate at the time of reporting, but may be subject to change.)

Iris Hautaniemi Forsberg

Gabriel Helupka, Editor; Cameron Munoz, Senior Editor

October 7, 2023

Ben Gurion International Airport[1]

Current Situation: International airlines have started canceling all flights to and from Israel between Saturday, October 7, and Monday, October 9. This includes AirFrance[2], United Airlines[3], Swiss Airlines[4], Austrian Airlines[5], Aegean Airlines[6], Brussels Airlines[7], Iberia[8], and Lufthansa.[9] Social media videos show civilians taking shelter on the tarmac of the Ben Gurion International Airport after Hamas rocket barrages in Tel Aviv.[10] [11]

Day/Time of event: October 7, 2023/Around 2200 local time

What is the current threat:

Hamas rocket barrages towards Tel Aviv are almost certainly the cause of the cancellations, and there is a very likely risk of further cancellations and delays. It is also likely that the events will affect airports in Amman, Jordan.
Flight cancellations will very likely affect the ability of Israeli civilians and foreigners living in Israel to flee the country in case of further escalation.
International media reporting from Israel will very likely encounter limitations due to travel difficulties.
Hamas will very likely continue to target the Ben Gurion International Airport, likely risking increasing civilian casualties and infrastructure damages.

Who will it directly impact: