Governments and airlines have found themselves in a race against time to arrange flights for the evacuation of thousands of tourists from Israel and the repatriation of its citizens. This response comes as the travel industry grapples with concerns regarding insurance coverage in the aftermath of the weekend attacks.
El Al, Israel's national airline, has announced that it will operate 12 additional flights on Wednesday and Thursday, providing service between various destinations such as Athens, Rome, Madrid, Bucharest, New York, Paris, Larnaca, and Istanbul. Additionally, their low-cost subsidiary, Sun Dor, is planning rescue flights from Istanbul. Earlier, El Al had already introduced an extra flight from New York and six flights to and from Larnaca.
This surge in flight operations coincides with the combined death toll from the weekend attacks by Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, and Israel's retaliatory strikes, surpassing 2,000 people.
Many foreign airlines have either suspended or significantly reduced their services, leaving passengers unsure about how to exit or enter the country. Consular services are overwhelmed by the high demand for assistance, with priority given to those who are seeking information about their missing relatives.
Israel's parliamentary finance committee has indicated that it will consider authorizing state guarantees to provide war risk insurance for Israeli airlines. This measure is in response to insurance companies asserting their right to cancel coverage with a seven-day notice. Nevertheless, some degree of coverage is still available, as noted by airline executives.
Lloyd's Market Association, a leading figure in the insurance industry, has pointed out that Israel is not typically classified as a high-risk area for aviation. Still, given the escalating violence, underwriters are seeking to manage their exposure. Neil Roberts, the head of marine and aviation at the association, mentioned that "Some have therefore given notice to amend terms and conditions."
British Airways announced its decision to suspend flights to Tel Aviv due to security concerns. An unusual move occurred when Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky repatriated 34 Czech citizens from Israel on his government plane after a stopover in the country following a conference in Oman. Denmark also expressed its intention to evacuate its citizens and permanent residents from Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in the wake of the Hamas attack. They are preparing to send a military transport plane to Israel.
El Al, which equips its aircraft with laser-based anti-missile systems, is currently serving numerous Israeli customers of foreign airlines whose flights have been canceled. The airline has expanded its flight operations across various hubs globally, with ongoing efforts to increase capacity.
Several governments have been engaged in discussions with airlines to coordinate special relief flights. Lufthansa has outlined plans for such flights on Thursday and Friday, following negotiations between the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr.
In the United States, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that discussions with U.S. airlines regarding flights to Israel are ongoing. Norwegian Air has suspended its regular flights to and from Israel until December 19 but is arranging an additional flight to transport Norwegian and other Nordic citizens from Tel Aviv to Oslo.
In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai's Emirates is reducing daily connections to Tel Aviv to once a day from three times daily, citing operational and safety considerations. Its low-cost subsidiary, flydubai, is also reducing its flight frequency.
Contrastingly, Etihad Airways in neighboring Abu Dhabi has resumed its scheduled services, with continuous monitoring in collaboration with authorities and security intelligence providers.
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