Finnair Halts Tel Aviv Flight Operations Until March 2024

Due to Israel's ongoing situation, Finnair, Finland's national carrier, will suspend Tel Aviv flights until March next year.

In a statement issued this week, the airline highlighted the scarcity of available alternative flight options, which tend to get fully booked rapidly, as reported by SchengenVisaInfo.com.

In response to this situation, Finnair has also recommended that Finnish travelers reach out to the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the Ministry has pledged to manage the coordination of potential evacuations in Israel.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will make the decision on possible evacuation flights and will share more information. Finnair will work together with the ministry and other officials when needed. We do not fly to Tel Aviv or use Israeli airspace in this situation. Safety is always our first priority,” emphasized Finnair.

In the wake of the recent Hamas attack, several airlines operating flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, have taken precautionary measures including flight cancellations and service reductions.

Subsequent to the Hamas attack, a number of flights destined for Tel Aviv, Israel, were redirected to Larnaca airport in Cyprus. These included flights operated by airlines such as Ryanair, along with a United Airlines Boeing 777 arriving from San Francisco.

Moreover, numerous airlines, including Wizz Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Air India, Turkish Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Egypt Air, Air Canada, Emirates, Air France, Dutch carrier KLM, German Lufthansa, Finnair in Finland, Norwegian Air, Portugal's TAP, and Poland's LOT, in addition to members of the Lufthansa Group, have either called off or scaled back their services to Tel Aviv's international airport, Ben Gurion Airport, in response to recent developments.

Norway and Estonia have taken precautionary measures by advising their citizens against traveling to these regions. This proactive step has been taken to ensure the safety and well-being of their citizens in light of the heightened tensions and security concerns prevailing in the area.

The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported that it has been in contact with 60 Estonian citizens who were in Israel. Consequently, 17 of these individuals have departed the country due to security concerns arising from the ongoing situation in the region.

Conversely, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also cautioned its citizens to refrain from non-essential travel to Southern Israel, Gaza, and areas within the occupied West Bank currently witnessing escalated violence.

Source: schengenvisainfo.com