El Al offers emergency flights for Israelis stuck abroad, as more airlines cancel flights to Israel 

Multiple international airlines announced widespread flight cancellations to and from Israel on Sunday after a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck near Ben Gurion Airport, injuring six civilians and sparking temporary chaos at the country’s main international gateway.

Israel’s flagship carrier, El Al, responded swiftly to the disruption by offering discounted one-way tickets from neighbouring countries to help Israelis stranded abroad return home. Starting Sunday evening and continuing until Saturday night, El Al will sell tickets from Larnaca, Cyprus to Tel Aviv for $99 and from Athens, Greece to Tel Aviv for $149. Shares of El Al surged nearly 7% following the announcement, contributing to a 49% increase so far this year as the airline has profited from maintaining uninterrupted operations during wartime. Similarly, local low-cost carrier Israir saw its stock rise by 4.1%, according to Tel Aviv Stock Exchange data.

Among the foreign carriers halting operations, United Airlines cancelled its twice-daily route between New York’s Newark Airport and Tel Aviv, with service suspended at least through Friday, May 8. In a statement, United confirmed it is “closely monitoring the situation” and emphasized that future decisions would prioritize the safety of customers and crews. Other airlines also followed suit; Air France cancelled its Sunday flights to Tel Aviv, TUS Airways suspended flights to and from Cyprus through May 5, Air India cancelled all Tel Aviv routes until May 6, and British Airways suspended service until May 7.

Though Ben Gurion Airport reopened roughly 30 minutes after temporarily suspending takeoffs and landings, concerns remain about potential longer-term impacts on air travel. “Unlike previous events in which the airport was closed for a short time, this time our travel agents are reporting fewer calls and more people who are unfazed about the situation,” said Revital Ben Natan, CEO of Ofakim Travel. “The fact that Ben Gurion International Airport returned to activity quickly brings back a sense of confidence; however, we may see international airlines that will take the next few days to monitor the situation.”

Despite the cancellations, a handful of foreign airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, flydubai, Iberia, and Blue Bird Airways, continued operating flights to and from Tel Aviv on Sunday, according to the Israel Airport Authority.

The disruption began earlier Sunday when the IDF failed to intercept the incoming missile from Yemen, which impacted within the airport grounds just minutes before entering Israeli airspace. The strike injured six people and caused brief halts in airport operations.