Israeli airlines Arkia and El Al are scrambling to pick up the slack as hundreds of passengers attempt to get in and out of the country, which entered war with Gaza on Saturday morning following a Hamas surprise attack that killed hundreds of men, women, and children, and saw more abducted and taken into Gaza as hostages.
Arkia has added several emergency flights to its roster “In light of the requests of hundreds of Israelis to return to Israel,” the airline announced on its website. The site is currently offering emergency flights from Greece (via Athens, Rhodes, Crete, and Thessaloniki), Egypt (via Sharm el-Shiekh), Cyprus (via Larnaca), and Spain (via Barcelona).
“We are currently operating according to the instructions of the authorized authorities and currently the flights are taking place as scheduled,” the company’s website states.
El Al added several flights in and out of Israel on Saturday night in response to severely increased demand, as most airlines canceled flights in and out of the country on Saturday.
El Al added four additional flights on Saturday night — three out of Tel Aviv to Rome, Bucharest and Prague, and one from Prague to Tel Aviv — and 100 additional seats were added to two flights between Athens and Tel Aviv.
Emergency cancellations and changes
ARKIA: Arkia customers wishing to cancel their flight may be able to do so without being charged. On Sunday, the airline’s website noted that “In light of the situation, passengers who wish to cancel their flight and their departure date is in the next three days, will be able to do so without cancellation fees via the email address: service@arkia.co.il, or by phone number: 03-6903333.” It is unclear as to what dates are covered by the “within 3 days” statement.
EL AL: On its website, El Al announced that it would offer several concessions for customers in response to the escalating conflict:
Passengers who have already begun their travel and want to return earlier than planned can do so without incurring the "Change of Reservation" fee and any fare differences, as long as their return is scheduled for Friday, October 13, 2023, or earlier.
For passengers who have already commenced their journey and have return flights scheduled on or before October 13, 2023, they have the option to postpone their flight to Israel without facing the "Change of Reservation" fee. However, any fare difference will apply unless they choose to travel on or after Friday, October 13, 2023.
Passengers who have not yet started their journey and have departure dates on or before October 13, 2023, have the flexibility to change or freeze their tickets without incurring a "Change of Reservation" fee. They may still need to pay any fare difference if applicable, unless they opt to travel on or before Friday, October 13, 2023. Alternatively, they can exchange their ticket for a voucher at no extra cost.
El Al’s dedicated emergency line is currently open to assist passengers seeking to book, cancel or change flights: +972-3-9404040. The company has also encouraged customers to reach out via Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp: 039771111.
A long list of canceling airlines
Several airlines have canceled flights to and from Israel due to the ongoing conflict with Gaza, these airlines include American Airlines, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Emirates, Ryanair, Swiss Air, Austrian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Aegan Airlines.