MOSCOW, July 23 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s airline Transaero, together with major US, EU and Canadian airlines, reported that all flights to and from Tel-Aviv scheduled for Wednesday are cancelled due to the deteriorating security situation in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Russia’s Aeroflot and Transaero airlines decided to turn back Tel Aviv-bound flights after a rocket fell near the city’s Ben Gurion International Airport.
Several airlines from US, Europe and Canada have also suspended Israel flights amid the rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip.
The US authorities banned all national carriers from flights to Israel for at least 24 hours.
“US airlines are prohibited from flying to or from Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport for a period of up to 24 hours,” a notice published on the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website Tuesday said.
According to the FAA, the notice has followed “a rocket strike which landed approximately 1 mile from Ben Gurion International Airport on the morning of July 22.”
The European Air Safety Agency (EASA) issued a “strong recommendation” to avoid Tel Aviv’s airport until further notice.
Major European airlines that have canceled flights to and from Israel include Air France, KLM and Lufthansa, among others.
Air Canada has also announced the cancellation of Tuesday’s flight to Tel Aviv.
Israel started its Protective Edge operation on July 8 in response to increased Palestinian rocket attacks.
Ten days later, the Israeli Army launched a ground offensive aiming to destroy Hamas rocket launchers and underground tunnels that Palestinian militants use to strike Israel.
