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ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 646

Israir

Stranded Israelis wait in a standby queue at Heathrow Airport in London to try and get seats on an El Al flight departing for Tel Aviv, on June 25, 2025. (Courtesy)
Government agrees it must help pay costs borne by travelers, airlines due to Iran war
By Sharon Wrobel
Economic Affairs Committee head demands plan within 10 days for compensating passengers stranded when Israeli airspace closed, without putting the whole burden on airlines
Stranded Israelis wait in a standby queue at Heathrow Airport in London to try and get seats on an El Al flight departing for Tel Aviv, on June 25, 2025. (Courtesy)
July 7, 2025, 5:09 pm
Government agrees it must help pay costs borne by travelers, airlines due to Iran war
Economic Affairs Committee head demands plan within 10 days for compensating passengers stranded when Israeli airspace closed, without putting the whole burden on airlines
By Sharon Wrobel
Travelers line up at the El Al check-in and security counters at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, on June 24, 2025. (Courtesy)
June 29, 2025, 5:20 pm
Israeli travelers again face astronomical air fares for peak summer season
Most European and US airlines are still avoiding Israel after the Iran ceasefire; with few flights available, Israelis forced to buy expensive tickets from local carriers
By Sharon Wrobel
An El Al flight takes off from Ben Gurion International Airport, outside of Tel Aviv, June 19, 2025. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
June 24, 2025, 11:19 pm
Israel reopens skies for air travel, returns international airport to full operation
Following Iran ceasefire, Ben Gurion Airport will operate without restrictions; six foreign carriers want to resume flights, while others will stay away this summer
By Sharon Wrobel
Chairman of the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee MK David Bitan presides over a hearing on flight arrangements following the launch of Operation Rising Lion, June 23, 2025. (Noam Moskowitz, Office of the Knesset Spokesperson)
June 23, 2025, 10:52 pm
Knesset committee chair rebukes airlines for price hikes on stranded Israelis
Bitan says he won’t approve potential liability reduction for Arkia, Israir, as they’ve been ‘extorting the public’ following launch of attack on Iran
By Jeremy Sharon
An Alitalia plane is seen parked on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International Airport on February 27, 2020, after passengers traveling from Italy were denied entry to Israel. (Jack Guez/AFP)
June 23, 2025, 10:02 pm
Israel approves $8 billion war insurance cover for Israeli and foreign airlines
Once Israeli airspace reopens, state-backed guarantee will enable foreign airlines to obtain wartime insurance policies, hopefully encouraging them to keep flying despite fighting
By Sharon Wrobel
An El Al flight takes off from Ben Gurion International Airport, outside of Tel Aviv, June 19, 2025. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
June 23, 2025, 2:46 am
Israel starts allowing outbound flights, restricted to 50 passengers per plane
Over 1,000 Israelis and foreigners expected to leave Monday, with cap on travelers aimed at minimizing security risk and overcrowding at Ben Gurion Airport amid Iran attacks
By Sharon Wrobel
An El Al repatriation flight lands at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv amid the war with Iran, June 18, 2025. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
June 22, 2025, 2:49 am
Israeli carriers to start outbound flights on Monday, limited to 50 people per plane
El Al opens registration for flights to destinations in Europe, US, and Far East, enabling foreigners and Israelis to leave by air for first time since start of conflict with Iran
By Sharon Wrobel
An El Al flight takes off from Ben Gurion International Airport, outside of Tel Aviv, June 19, 2025. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
June 20, 2025, 9:50 pm
Israel is set to start outbound flights Monday as more than 50,000 citizens return home
Diplomats, tourists, youth and sports groups stuck are poised to depart on half-full planes; thousands of Israelis return home via air, sea and land border crossings
By Sharon Wrobel
First plane operated by El Al bringing back Israelis from Larnaca arrives at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, June 18, 2025. (video screenshot/courtesy of Israel Airports Authority)
June 19, 2025, 11:32 pm
Carriers expand airlift to bring Israelis home; outbound flights set to begin Monday
Subject to approval by a government-led exceptions committee, diplomats, tourists, foreign youth and sports groups stranded in Israel will be able to return home from next week
By Sharon Wrobel
Israeli passengers on Arkia's first repatriation flight leaving from Larnaca to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport on June 18, 2025. (Courtesy Arkia)
June 18, 2025, 12:24 pm
First repatriation flights spirit Israelis home from Cyprus as air mission takes off
El Al, Arkia, and Israir planes from Larnaca and more flights from around Europe land at Ben Gurion Airport; will gradually bring back 100,000 people stranded abroad by war
By Sharon Wrobel and Rossella Tercatin
File: Parked airplanes at Ben Gurion Airport, August 8, 2020 (Olivier Fitoussi/FLASH90)
June 17, 2025, 10:09 pm
Israeli airlines set to launch repatriation flights Wednesday to bring citizens home
El Al, Arkia and Israir scheduled to operate a limited number of flights to pick up stranded Israelis from nearby Cyprus and Greece, and some European destinations
By Sharon Wrobel
El Al airplanes on the tarmac at Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport, October 4, 2022. (Moshe Shai/ Flash90/ File)
June 16, 2025, 7:34 pm
Israel embarks on plan to bring more than 100,000 Israelis stuck abroad safely home
El Al opens registration for stranded passengers to map return flights; Arkia creates flight schedule for Israelis to return from Athens, Larnaca, Rome, Paris and New York
By Sharon Wrobel
Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, stands empty after Israel closed its airspace due to the outbreak of war with Iran, June 13, 2025. (Roy Alima/Flash90)
June 16, 2025, 12:26 pm
150,000 Israelis stranded abroad; airline heads warn government rescue plan falls short
Outbound travel to remain banned in apparent effort to prevent crowds at Ben Gurion Airport, already a target; flights to Israel not expected to begin before Thursday at earliest
By Sharon Wrobel and ToI Staff
Passengers at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on May 4, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
June 6, 2025, 8:54 am
Au revoir western Europe: As Houthi attacks spike airfares, Israelis adjust summer plans
As many foreign carriers halt their flights to Tel Aviv, Israelis forgo popular but expensive cities in western Europe for breaks in nearby Greece, Cyprus, and Balkan countries
By Sharon Wrobel
An El Al plane parked at Ben Gurion Airport, May 7, 2025. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)
May 30, 2025, 9:38 pm
Could nations angry over Gaza war close their skies to Israeli planes?
Some fear Israel could face more isolation, including bans on local carriers, as even Western allies threaten repercussions if the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza don’t end
By Sharon Wrobel
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