A British Airways airplane decided to make an emergency U-turn before landing in Tel Aviv. After BA officials learned about the incident, they decided to suspend flights going to Israel.
Israel's airport authorities and British Airways officials explained what scared the pilot of the BA165 flight, forcing him to make the U-turn.
British Airways Israel Flight Suspension Announced After U-Turn Incident
According to BBC News, the flight BA165 of British Airways was supposed to make a landing in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Oct. 11. However, the airplane's pilot decided to make a U-turn to land in Heathrow instead.
An Israeli spokesperson for the country's airport authority said that when the BA flight was on its way to Tel Aviv, missiles were flying around the city.
However, the official clarified that those rockets were not an immediate threat to the British Airways flight. But, a BA spokesman argued that the U-turn was critical since their highest priority is the safety of employees and passengers.
When the BA165 was approaching Tel Aviv, British Airways said that air raid sirens could be heard in the city. When they got this information, BA officials immediately requested the airplane captain to make a U-turn around and return to the United Kingdom.
"Following the latest assessment of the situation, we're suspending our flights to and from Tel Aviv," said the U.K.-based airlines.
"We're contacting customers booked to travel to or from Tel Aviv to apologize for the inconvenience and offer options including a full refund and rebooking with another airline or with British Airways at a later date," added BA officials.
As of writing, British Airways said that it is still monitoring the situation in Israel since the conflict between the Israeli government and the Hamas terrorist group is intensifying.
Read Also: Israeli Soldiers Discover Dozens of Dead Babies, Some Beheaded, in Hamas-Attacked Village
Other Airlines Canceling Flights To Israel
Before British Airways announced its Israel flight suspension, other airlines already canceled their flights going to the Middle Eastern country.
Reuters reported that hundreds of international flights to and from Tel Aviv have been halted after the deadly Hamas attack, which happened on Oct. 7; killing hundreds of Israelis and injuring thousands of them.
If you are in Israel or planning to visit the Middle Eastern nation, here are the international airlines that suspended their flights:
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Royal Air Maroc
- United Airlines
- Air Canada
- Azerbaijan Airlines
- Ryanair
- Finnair
- Hainan Airlines
- Norwegian Air
- EasyJet
- Air France
- Cathay Pacific
- Korean Air
- Air Astana
These are just some of the flight companies that suspended their flights to and from Israel. You can click this link to see more.
Related Article: Hamas Attack Update: AA, Other Major Airlines Cancel Flights to Israel-Here's What FAA Says In Updated NOTAM
