AhlulBayt News Agency: Israeli authorities closed Ben Gurion Airport on Saturday until further notice after Iran launched a barrage of missiles in retaliation for a major Israeli strike on Iranian territory. The closure marks one of the most significant disruptions to Israeli airspace in recent history.
Ben Gurion Airport spokesperson Lisa Diver stated that there is no specific date or time for the airport to reopen, according to Agence France-Presse.
Flight tracking data and aviation sources indicate that Israel quickly began relocating its civilian and government aircraft fleet to various destinations across Europe.
Live data from FlightRadar24 showed that more than 27 Israeli planes departed from Ben Gurion Airport by 6 a.m. local time (3 a.m. GMT), all without passengers on board.
Fourteen Israeli aircraft were rerouted to Larnaca and Paphos airports in Cyprus—two of the closest European airports to Israel. The Israeli government plane, known as Wing of Zion, was tracked en route to Athens, Greece. Other aircraft were redirected to Hungary, Bulgaria, and France.
Israeli airlines, including El Al, Israir, and Arkia, confirmed they were actively relocating their fleets as part of emergency contingency plans developed in recent days. Israir Airlines said it was in the final stages of transferring its planes out of Tel Aviv, while El Al stated it was flying aircraft to “our destinations.” Arkia declined to reveal the location of its aircraft for security reasons.
Israeli media, citing security sources, reported that the airport is expected to remain closed for at least three to four days.
The large-scale evacuation of aircraft and indefinite suspension of flights underscore the severity of the threat posed by Iran’s missile retaliation and the heightened regional instability following the escalation between the two governments.
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