El Al resumes repatriation flights to Israel after nearly a week of suspension
The first flights depart amid Red Alert sirens as the government prepares a limited plan for outbound travel next week
El Al began flying Israelis back to the country on Thursday morning after nearly a week without flights, marking the first step in restoring air travel following the suspension of operations. The first flight bound for Israel departed from Athens at around 6:00 AM, with additional repatriation flights following later in the day.
According to reports, one such flight was caught by Red Alert sirens from a missile launch minutes from landing and was forced to climb back into the air.
The renewed flights aim to bring home Israeli citizens who were stranded abroad during the halt in aviation activity. El Al said more flights are planned as the airline gradually resumes operations under current restrictions.
At the same time, Israel’s government is preparing a plan to allow limited outbound travel. Miri Regev, Israel’s transport minister, has asked officials to present a proposal for operating flights leaving the country starting at the beginning of next week.
According to the emerging plan, outbound flights would be tightly controlled. The proposal would allow a maximum of one flight per hour to depart from Israel, with each flight carrying no more than 50 passengers.
The restrictions are intended to maintain strict oversight of air travel while the aviation sector gradually returns to operation. Authorities are prioritizing the return of Israeli citizens before fully restoring regular international flights.
Further details on the outbound flight plan are expected in the coming days as officials finalize procedures for passenger limits and scheduling.