The FAA on Tuesday banned US airlines from flying to or from Israel’s international airport for at least 24 hours after a Hamas rocket exploded nearby, and days after a Russian missile blew a Malaysian passenger jet out of the sky.
“The notice was issued in response to a rocket strike which landed approximately one mile from Ben Gurion International Airport,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
The flight ban outraged former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who defiantly boarded an El Al flight from JFK to Tel Aviv on Tuesday night to show his support for the Israeli people.
El Al, as an Israeli-owned airline, is not subject to the FAA ban
“The US flight restrictions are a mistake that hands Hamas an undeserved victory and should be lifted immediately,” Bloomberg said in a statement issued before the flight.
The FAA said the flight prohibition would remain in effect for at least 24 hours and then be re-evaluated.
The three US carriers that service Ben Gurion — United, Delta and US Airways — had already canceled flights to Tel Aviv following the Hamas attack, which injured one Israeli.
Also Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces said on Twitter that the Iron Dome missile-defense system had intercepted one rocket above Tel Aviv, but a that second fell in Yehud, a mile from the airport.
Delta even diverted a Boeing 747 from New York carrying 273 passengers to Israel as it flew over Greece — forcing the jet to make a U-turn and land in Paris.
A Delta spokesman declined to link the decision to the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which crashed in Ukraine Thursday after it was struck by a Buk anti-aircraft missile, killing nearly 298 people.
Israeli Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, like Bloomberg, argued the FAA ban played into terrorists’ hands.
“Ben Gurion Airport is safe and there is absolutely no need to be concerned about the security of planes and passengers,” Katz said. “There’s absolutely no reason why American airlines, in particular, should stop their flights and thus hand a prize to terrorism.”
The order could take a toll on Israel’s economy, an expert told The Jerusalem Post.
“As soon as the FAA gives such an order to US carriers, in most cases, it’s a domino effect, and most European carriers will be forced to suspend their flights,” an industry source told The Jerusalem Post. “This is a huge coup for Hamas.”
Several other carriers did follow suit. Air France suspended flights until further notice, Lufthansa and its Swiss and Austrian affiliates canceled flights for at least 36 hours, and Air Canada grounded at least one scheduled flight from Toronto to Tel Aviv.
Also, the European Aviation Safety Agency was planning to issue a bulletin containing a “strong recommendation” that other European airlines avoid Ben Gurion, ABC News reported.
El Al will not only continue to fly to and from Israel, but a spokesman said it would try to help stranded passengers.
Fliers arriving at JFK on an El Al flight from Israel Tuesday insisted the Tel Aviv airport was safe.
“I feel safer in Israel than I feel here,” said Boruch Shlanger. 43, of Brooklyn, returning from two weeks there.
Benjamin Majowka, 19, a student from Washington Heights who spent two months in Israel, criticized the airlines.
“It was a great flight, smooth sailing,” he said. “They should not have cancelled the flights. I feel safe.”
Meanwhile, an Israeli soldier went missing in Gaza. Hamas claimed he had been taken prisoner as the conflict entered its third week, leaving more than 600 Palestinians and 29 Israelis dead.
Additional reporting by Georgett Roberts