UPDATE: The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a statement banning U.S. airlines from flying to or from Tel Aviv for up to 24 hours, beginning Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. EST. The agency said the move was a response to a rocket strike Tuesday morning, which landed approximately one mile from Ben Gurion International Airport.
Citing security concerns around Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, several airlines have altered or suspended their service to Israel.
Delta Air Lines announced on its website Tuesday that is has suspended its service to Israel "until further notice" following reports of "a rocket or associated debris" near Ben Gurion International Airport. The airline also made the announcement on two of its Twitter accounts.
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Meanwhile, American Airlines responded to a passenger's question on Twitter regarding flights to Israel, announcing that it canceled both its flight to Tel Aviv from Philadelphia and the reverse flight "in response to security concerns at TLV." It also posted an official "Israel Travel Policy" on its website, allowing passengers with ticketed flights to Tel Aviv through the end of July to adjust their flights until the end of August. (US Airways, which has merged with American Airlines, made a similar announcement on its still-separate Twitter page.)
United Airlines canceled its two flights between Tel Aviv and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, as well.
After last week's tragic Flight 17 disaster in Ukraine, it isn't terribly surprising that airlines are taking extra precautions with flying near conflict-ridden zones.
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