Israeli airspace is expected to open again at 2:00 p.m. after Israel sealed its airspace to civilian traffic on Sunday following the American-Israeli attack on three nuclear sites in Iran.
The shutdown forced the country’s two largest carriers, El Al and Israir, to halt every scheduled flight and divert aircraft already in the sky, stranding thousands of Israelis abroad.
El Al aircraft rerouted mid-flight
A Tel Aviv-bound El Al 787 from Paris was ordered to turn south and land in Larnaca, Cyprus, minutes before its planned descent into Ben-Gurion Airport. A separate evacuation flight from Bangkok entered a holding pattern and was eventually directed to an alternate field, the airline said, stressing that “safety and security are our top priorities.” All future departures and arrivals are cancelled “until further notice,” the carrier added.
Smaller Israeli carrier Israir issued its own statement a short time later, saying that “all planned operations are suspended, effective immediately, following the heightened Home Front Command restrictions and the U.S. strike in Iran.” The airline said it is “awaiting Civil Aviation Authority instructions, monitoring developments closely, and will resume service as soon as conditions allow.” Passengers were urged to follow official updates and remain flexible.
Why are the skies empty?
The directive clears the nation’s air corridors so IAF batteries can intercept missiles without risking civilian jets. It also prevents aircraft on approach from becoming inadvertent targets. Although Arrow and Iron Dome downed most of the latest volley, defense officials said the closure would remain until “operational conditions permit safe traffic.”
Before Sunday’s order, the Transportation Ministry estimated more than 150,000 Israeli citizens were overseas; roughly half were actively seeking flights home. Ad-hoc rescue rotations from Cyprus, Greece and Italy have now paused, leaving travelers scrambling for overland routes through Jordan or Egypt or waiting out the closure abroad.
Israel first grounded civilian traffic on June 13, hours after launching Operation Rising Lion against Iranian nuclear sites. The airspace reopened briefly last week, but Washington’s decision early Sunday to bomb Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan triggered a new Iranian barrage and an immediate return to maximum precautions.