The Israeli government partially reopened Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport to outbound international flights on March 8, allowing the first planes carrying commercial passengers to depart the country since the Feb. 28 launch of joint Israeli and U.S. military strikes in Iran.
Operated only by Israeli airlines El Al, Israir and Arika, two international flights departed the airport each hour, beginning around 8 a.m. yesterday morning and carrying “up to 100 passengers,” according to the Israel Ministry of Transportation.
El Al said on its website Monday that the airline is preparing to operate outbound flights from Tel Aviv to 23 international destinations in Europe, Asia and North America, including New York, Miami and Los Angeles.
“Passengers who began their trip to Israel and whose return flight to their country of origin was canceled, as well as passengers who held a one-way ticket to depart Israel and whose flight was canceled, will be automatically assigned, at no additional cost, to outbound flights to one of the 23 destinations currently operated as part of our recovery flights,” El Al’s website read Monday.
An El Al spokesperson, meanwhile, told TravelAge West on the same day that the airline “has also started selling flights for those who were not booked with El Al,” but noted that “those who already hold El Al tickets are being given priority to ensure those passengers get to their destination."
The carrier is now selling seats on international flights to Israel, as well, after rebooking roughly 38,000 El Al customers whose flights had been canceled. Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was partially reopened to inbound flights on Wednesday last week in an effort to repatriate Israelis stranded abroad.
Returning to Israel
Roy Gal, owner of Memories Forever Travel Group, a Travel Planners International affiliate in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, helped four people return to Israel over the weekend on an Israir flight from Milan, Italy, that landed in Tel Aviv Saturday.
“They were actually in Rome,” Gal said of the clients. “But we helped them take a train to Milan after we secured the four spots on Israir.”
Born in Israel, Gal and his family relocated to the U.S. in 2006, and he’s been selling travel for 25 years, working regularly with Israelis vacationing in the States, as well as Americans interested in trips across Israel.
Gal has been fielding a number of requests from longtime clients — along with their friends and family — since the war started last Saturday.
As long as they’re still firing missiles, there's always a risk of changes and cancellations.
“Honestly, not everyone is eager to go back,” Gal said of Israelis stranded abroad. “It just depends on who they left behind. If they have kids there, then yes, they want to get back.”
Gal also helped a couple evacuate Israel last week, connecting them with Amsalem Tours, an Israeli tour operator that assisted the two travelers across the border into Egypt at Taba and onto an Israir flight in Aqaba, Jordan, headed for Germany. The couple later flew to the U.S. from Germany.
“It's not crazy money — $200, $250 per person,” Gal said about the pricing for Amsalem’s service escorting clients across the border. “For someone who really wanted to leave, that was probably the fastest way out."
Gal was quick to note that he hasn’t been actively broadcasting his Israel connections over the past week, emphasizing that he’s just been working on requests from existing clients or their families and friends.
“It's a lot of work, and you don't really make any money,” he said. “But we’re trying to help in whatever way we can. Hopefully, the worst is over. But as long as they’re still firing missiles, there's always a risk of changes and cancellations.”
