Transportation minister clarifies that reopening of Israeli skies to begin next week

Transportation Minister Miri Regev says aviation authorities are preparing to gradually reopen the country’s airspace in a phased manner starting next week, and subject to security developments.

“Israel’s airspace for now remains closed,” says Regev. “I have instructed Civil Aviation Authority head Shmuel Zakay to meet with Israeli airlines so that they are prepared for the opening of the skies in a phased manner starting next week, all of this of course in accordance with security developments.”

Regev says she has asked Zakay to inform Israeli airlines to get ready for a partial reopening of the country’s airspace as early as Sunday so that they can start operating repatriation flights to bring back tens of thousands of Israelis stranded abroad.

Earlier, the IDF Home Front Command said it hoped air traffic would resume this evening in a “controlled, monitored, and coordinated manner,” and in accordance with a situational assessment.

The military later clarified that the authority to reopen the airspace remains under the responsibility of the Transportation Ministry.

“I too heard this morning the irresponsible statements of unauthorized sources that the skies will open tonight,” Regev says. “As of this time, I would like to clarify that there is no change in the guidelines and the airspace of the State of Israel is still closed due to the security situation.”