The head of Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Shmuel Zakay, warned this weekend that it will take weeks before all Israelis stranded abroad will be able to fly home, as Israel’s main international airport remained closed for a third day on Sunday amid the war with Iran.
The remarks came as tens of thousands of Israelis remain stranded abroad since Israel closed its airspace after launching a pre-emptive strike on Friday against Iranian nuclear and military sites.
“I want to say to Israelis abroad: It will take weeks, not days or hours, weeks until all of them are back home,” CAA director-general Zakay said. “We won’t restart airport operations at a full pace. It will be slow, in stages, and it may cease for certain periods.”
His remarks dampened hopes among some travelers that Israel would carry out immediate return flights from nearby countries, including Cyprus or Greece, as it has in past flare-ups of violence.
Israeli carriers have relocated their planes to Larnaca, Cyprus and Athens, Greece, in line with CAA recommendations that are part of a special emergency contingency plan developed in recent days.
Israel’s flagship carrier, El Al, announced on Sunday that it was canceling all flights until at least June 19, with additional cancellations to many European cities extending to June 23, due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
El Al was only offering a refund voucher for canceled flights, stirring more criticism after already facing allegations of price gouging.
“One would think that after 20 months of record profits, if El Al cancels flights, one would get a full refund back and not a voucher,” said Mark Feldman, CEO of Ziontours travel agency. “I am not sure this will hold up in court.”
Meanwhile, the National Security Council warned Israelis on Sunday not to try to reach Israel by land via Jordan or Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, as some travelers have been doing, citing a high risk of danger to Israelis in those countries.
The NSC issued both countries with a Level 4 travel warning, which reflects a high threat.
“We recommend avoiding these areas,” a statement read. “These warnings are especially important during this tense period.”
