The US FAA has barred all US airlines from flying into ot out of Israel due to missile strikes near Ben Gurion International Airport. Prime Minister Netanyahu asks US Secretery of State John Kerry to restore the banned flights.
Above: A Delta Airlines 767 (Credit: Andrei Dimofte)
The US Federal Aviation Administration has just barred all US airlines from flying into ot out of Israel for at least the next 24 hours due to missile strikes near Ben Gurion International Airport, CNN has just reported.
Update 11:55 am CDT – Lufthansa, Swiss Air and Austrian Airlines, all owned by Lufthansa, have now just issued their own ban, but for 36 hours, CNN reported less than a minute ago, and Air France has apparently taken a similar step, as well.
Update 1:06 pm CDT – Norwegian Air, Air France and KLM have also cancelled flights and are not flying to and from Israel for at least the next day or so.
Update 2:47 pm CDT – Since the beginning of Israel's "Operation Protective Edge" in Gaza, pilots from El Al, Arkia Israel Airlines and several foreign airlines have reported attempts to blind them originating from Qalqiyah, Jaljulia and Kfar Qasim, Ha'aretz reported. These attempts to blind pilots have taken place every day. The Israel Police Counter-Terrorism Unit is reportedly investigating.
Meanwhile, Air Canada has reportedly temporarily stopped flying into and out of Israel.
Update 3:11 pm CDT – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked US Secretary of State John Kerry to intervene in the FAA's temporary Israel flight ban, Ha'aretz reported. Netanyahu wants Kerry to have flights resume.