U.S. Airlines Begin to Cancel Flights to Israel Amid Rocket Fire

[mystery-ak]

http://www.thewire.com/global/2014/07/delta-cancels-all-flights-to-israel-amid-rocket-fire/374838/

21 MIN AGO / THE ISRAELI-GAZA WAR
U.S. Airlines Begin to Cancel Flights to Israel Amid Rocket Fire
ADAM CHANDLER

The Associated Press is now reporting that Delta has decided to indefinitely suspend all of its flights to Israel amid rocket fire from Gaza upon the nearby Tel Aviv area and, most recently, the area surrounding Israel's lone international airport.

Delta Air Lines is canceling all flights to Israel until further notice, citing reports that a rocket landed near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport.


The precedent set by Delta's decision could potentially cripple Israel's economy.


Throughout decades of peace negotiations, the greatest fear about an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank was that it would place its only international airport in the crosshairs of rocket fire. But in the past two weeks, Hamas has unveiled rockets capable of firing greater distances, allowing it to target cities once unfathomable to Israeli security forces, including its largest city, Tel Aviv.

While Ben Gurion Airport in nearby Lod has not been struck by rocket fire, as the greater Tel Aviv area has come under fire (and likely with the fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in mind), Delta doesn't seem to be taking any chances.

Here is Delta's statement:

Delta has suspended service until further notice to and from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and its New York-JFK hub. Delta, in coordination with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, is doing so to ensure the safety and security of our customers and employees.

Delta flight 468, a Boeing 747 from JFK with 273 passengers and 17 crew, diverted to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Tuesday after reports of a rocket or associated debris near the airport in Tel Aviv. Delta is working to reaccommodate these customers.

Delta continues to work closely with U.S. and other government resources to monitor the situation.

According to reports, US Airways is also suspending its one flight:

US Airways, which has one daily flight from Philadelphia, canceled that flight Tuesday and the return trip from Tel Aviv. United Airlines, which has two flights daily to Israel out of Newark, N.J., did comment immediately on the status of those flights."

 

[EC]

BA is flying as normal. So are other European Airlines. BA is not even doing the hop routine - they used to go in and get out fast and at night, stopping in Cyprus to swap crews.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/middle-east-unrest/some-major-airlines-cancel-flights-israel-amid-missile-worries-n162096

Seriously telling me we are tougher than you guys?

[DCPatriot]

BA is flying as normal. So are other European Airlines. BA is not even doing the hop routine - they used to go in and get out fast and at night, stopping in Cyprus to swap crews.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/middle-east-unrest/some-major-airlines-cancel-flights-israel-amid-missile-worries-n162096

Seriously telling me we are tougher than you guys?

LOL!  My cynicism knows no limits, EC.

These orders are coming from pressure put upon them by Homeland Security...a surrogate of the Obama Administration.

This is merely another way for Barack Obama to make it difficult to conduct American business with Israel.

If it adversely affects Israel'l economy and tourism, you can bet Obama is on the job. 

[Chieftain]

BA is flying as normal. So are other European Airlines. BA is not even doing the hop routine - they used to go in and get out fast and at night, stopping in Cyprus to swap crews.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/middle-east-unrest/some-major-airlines-cancel-flights-israel-amid-missile-worries-n162096

Seriously telling me we are tougher than you guys?

That'll last until the first MANPAD is launched from Gaza.  Right now it is only unguided artillery rockets but that can change very quickly considering the wide proliferation of the damned things.

Matter of time till someone tries it in a target rich environment somewhere outside of the Middle East.

 

[EC]

That'll last until the first MANPAD is launched from Gaza.  Right now it is only unguided artillery rockets but that can change very quickly considering the wide proliferation of the damned things.

Matter of time till someone tries it in a target rich environment somewhere outside of the Middle East.

 

Outside the middle East - probably. It is bound to happen. Nearly happened at Heathrow back in '06.

In Israel though - put it this way. MANPADS can be dodged, they are fairly stupid and easy to fool. And BA tends to hire ex-combat pilots for left seat. Not going to be easy to dodge in something that size - they take nearly 15 seconds to spool up to full thrust - but they'll die trying. If I didn't know that and know the idiots doing the flying, me missus would have had her retirement papers in yesterday.

[DCPatriot]

This is Obama's way of installing sanctions on Israel.

Forcing all Americans to transfer flights in Europe will be a major PIA. 

[DCPatriot]

European safety agency to recommend airlines avoid Tel Aviv


Paris (AFP) - Europe's air safety watchdog said Tuesday it would recommend that all European airlines avoid Tel Aviv after a rocket fired from Gaza struck near the city's international airport.

The European Aviation Safety Agency told AFP it would issue a "strong recommendation to avoid until further notice Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport."


http://news.yahoo.com/lufthansa-suspends-flights-tel-aviv-36-hours-174306594.html

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24 hours....36 hours....BFD!  Extensions can be enforced.

These are backdoor sanctions to punish Israel.

If I were Bibi Netanyahu, Gaza would be completely leveled....nothing higher than 24 inches.

....#bringbacktheplanes.

[Right_in_Virginia]

That'll last until the first MANPAD is launched from Gaza.  Right now it is only unguided artillery rockets but that can change very quickly considering the wide proliferation of the damned things.

Matter of time till someone tries it in a target rich environment somewhere outside of the Middle East.

 

Methinks Ukraine may have planted a seed  in Hamas' strategy. 

I'm of mixed opinions on this move (Europe apparently is also suspending flights).  I can see where it applies pressure to Israel...but I can also see that no one wants another passenger plane blown out of the sky or hit with anything from a war zone.   

[Fishrrman]

DCPatriot wrote above:
[[ These are backdoor sanctions to punish Israel.
If I were Bibi Netanyahu, Gaza would be completely leveled....nothing higher than 24 inches. ]]

You're right on the first count.

And headin' in the right direction on the second.

Bibi should "increase the intensity" of the offensive, and let it be know through whatever channels necessary that such intensity will be incrementally escalated until Gaza has been pacified to the point where missile attacks on Tel Aviv airport are neutralized.

Watch Obama tell the FAA to pull its order posthaste!

[DCPatriot]

DCPatriot wrote above:
[[ These are backdoor sanctions to punish Israel.
If I were Bibi Netanyahu, Gaza would be completely leveled....nothing higher than 24 inches. ]]

You're right on the first count.

And headin' in the right direction on the second.

Bibi should "increase the intensity" of the offensive, and let it be know through whatever channels necessary that such intensity will be incrementally escalated until Gaza has been pacified to the point where missile attacks on Tel Aviv airport are neutralized.

Watch Obama tell the FAA to pull its order posthaste!

I don't think so, Fish.   Obama is at that stage where....as Stalin said, "A single death is a tragedy...a million deaths is a statistic".

He literally couldn't care less.