In a disconcerting turn of events, hundreds of United Airlines passengers who were en route from San Francisco to Tel Aviv found themselves on an unexpected 13-hour “flight to nowhere” as tensions escalated amid the ongoing Hamas attacks in Israel. Flight UA954, originally bound for Tel Aviv, made a 180-degree turn midway through its journey and returned to San Francisco, ensuring the safety of passengers and crew, as confirmed by flightradar24.
United Airlines issued a statement emphasizing the top priority of passenger and crew safety, stating, “We are closely monitoring the situation, and we are adjusting flight schedules as required.” The airline also announced the suspension of future operations to Tel Aviv following two departures scheduled for that day, pending improved conditions in the region.
Ryanair passengers traveling from Continental Europe to Tel Aviv faced a similar situation as several flights had to make mid-air turnarounds. The decision to return to base was made for a Budapest-bound flight when it was over Antalya in southern Turkey.
In response to the heightened security situation, Israel’s civil aviation authority imposed restrictions, disallowing sports or leisure flights into Israeli airspace until further notice. This decision led to the mid-air turnarounds of flights from Berlin, Milan, Charleroi, and Baden-Baden.
Lufthansa informed news agency AFP that while one flight to Frankfurt would be maintained, all other Lufthansa flights to and from Tel Aviv were canceled for the day. Wizz Air also faced cancellations, affecting flights from London Gatwick and Luton to Tel Aviv, as well as routes from Iasi, Vienna, and Vilnius to the Israeli city.
As the conflict in Israel continues to evolve, airlines are closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their passengers and crews. The abrupt mid-air turnarounds and flight suspensions highlight the impact of the ongoing security situation on air travel to Tel Aviv.
Sources By Agencies
