US Airlines Delta, United Cancel Flights to Tel Aviv Amid Middle East Tensions

Two United Airlines Boeing 737s are parked at the gate at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on July 7, 2022. Wilfredo Lee/AP

American carriers United Airlines and Delta Airlines announced separately on July 31 that they have temporarily suspended flights to Tel Aviv in Israel due to the current security situation in the Middle East.

In an update on its official website, Delta Airlines said it is pausing flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Tel Aviv through at least Aug. 2 due to “ongoing conflict” in the region.

Sales are suspended for four flights that were scheduled to land in Tel Aviv on dates before then: DL234 on Jul. 31 and Aug. 1 and DL235 on Aug. 1 and Aug. 2.

The airline said customers impacted by the changes to its schedule would be notified via the Fly Delta app and contact information listed in their booking.

Delta Airlines has also issued a travel waiver for all customers who booked flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport before Aug. 14 so that they can rebook travel on available flights on or before Sept. 6 without paying a fare difference.

Customers who rebook travel after Sept. 6, may need to pay a difference in fare, the airline said.

The airline also noted that seats on its partner airlines, Air France and EL AL Israel Airlines, remain bookable online and through Delta Reservations when available.

“Delta is continuously monitoring the evolving security environment and assessing our operations based on security guidance and intelligence reports and will communicate any updates as needed,” the airline said.

Separately, a spokesperson for United Airlines told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that flights from Newark Liberty to Tel Aviv were being suspended as of July 31 “for security reasons.”

In the meantime, the airline will “evaluate” its next steps, the spokesperson said.

“We continue to closely monitor the situation and will make decisions on resuming service with a focus on the safety of our customers and crews,” the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson did not state how long the flight suspensions would remain in place or provide further details regarding whether or not customers would be issued travel waivers.

Both United Airlines and Delta Airlines previously suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv in October 2023 after escalating violence broke out between Israel and the Hamas terror group.

Missile Strike Kills Hamas Leader

The latest cancellations come as tensions in the Middle East further heightened this week after the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Haniyeh was killed in a missile strike in Iran’s capital city of Tehran on July 31 after attending the inauguration of the country’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meets with Palestinian group Hamas' top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, Iran, on June 21, 2023. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA/Reuters

Iran has blamed Israel for his death and vowed to retaliate, although John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, told reporters on July 31 that there are “no signs that an escalation is imminent” in the aftermath of Haniyeh’s death.

Israel has yet to comment on the killing.

Haniyeh’s death occurred just hours after Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an airstrike in Beirut. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) claimed responsibility for that killing.

The U.S. State Department warns Americans to reconsider travel to Israel and the West Bank due to terrorism and civil unrest. On July 31, the department updated its advisory to warn U.S. nationals not to travel to Lebanon because of rising tensions between Hezbollah and Israel.

Dan M. Berger contributed to this report.