United Airlines Abruptly Cancels Flights to Major Airport
On May 10, 15 different airlines opted to suspend service to Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport following a recent airstrike fired by Yemen’s Houthi Rebels.
The airstrike landed near the Tel Aviv airport, which decided to stay open following the attack. “Dear passengers, please be advised that Ben Gurion airport is working as planned including departures and landings,” the airport said in a brief statement.
United Airlines was one of the 15 airlines to stop service to the airport for a brief time before announcing it would resume flight services from New York to Tel Aviv on June 5. “This resumption follows a detailed assessment of operational considerations for the region and close work with the unions who represent our flight attendants and pilots,” United said in a statement.
Just a week later, a United Airlines flight from New York to Tel Aviv late Thursday night turned around over the Atlantic Ocean after Israel launched a series of military strikes against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.Tel AvivJune 12, 2025
United confirmed to Business Insider that one flight to Tel Aviv, UAL84, returned to New York after departure, and that another, UAL90, was canceled. “United will continue to monitor the situation and will work to assist our customers through this disruption,” a United statement said.
The airline also announced that 26 crew members who had been in Tel Aviv on a layover when the airspace closed were given seats on an El Al flight out of Israel.
The swift change came after the Israeli military struck targets in Iran early on Friday escalating the feud between the two countries that led to Iran to send 100 drones to Israel following the attacks while warning of a “heavy price” to be paid after the escalation.
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