Major airlines cancel flights amid violence in the Middle East

Investing.com – Several airlines have suspended or restricted some flights to Israel due to the escalation of violence between Israeli forces and the Palestinian Hamas.

According to travel website FlightAware, 97 flights had been canceled at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, considered Israel’s main travel hub, as of 06:58 ET (10:58 GMT) Monday, with 73 flights delayed, although Ben Gurion noted on its website that departures and landings were continuing “as scheduled.”

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL), easyJet (LON:EZJ) and Wizz Air (LON:WIZZ) were among the airlines that canceled scheduled flights to Tel Aviv, data from FlightAware showed. Airspace authorities in the United States, European Union and Israel have urged airlines to be cautious when flying to the country, Reuters reported.

Shares of European airlines including Wizz Air, EasyJet and British Airways owner IAG (BME:ICAG) fell on Monday, reflecting a rise in oil prices. United, American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) and Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) also posted losses in U.S. premarket trading.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalated into open war over the weekend when members of the Islamist Hamas group attacked several Israeli towns, killing hundreds of Israelis and abducting dozens more. In response, the Israeli Air Force bombed targets in Gaza, causing numerous casualties.

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