Airlines began canceling flights Sunday after a Houthi missile struck near Ben Gurion Airport, once again leaving travelers stranded either abroad or in Israel. The growing concern now is that more cancellations could drive up ticket prices. Shares in Israeli airline El Al surged in response to the incident, and the company’s website temporarily crashed due to high demand.
Dana, who was scheduled to fly from Tel Aviv to Madrid with Air Europa on Sunday afternoon, received a cancellation notice. “I’m a student and I have to get back to class,” she said. “I immediately booked the first ticket I could find on El Al’s site. It cost me $250 one-way to Madrid, which is actually reasonable right now. Demand is rising fast and prices could change at any moment. I was lucky to find a seat.”
Yuval, who was supposed to return from Rome on Monday, had his Wizz Air flight canceled. “As someone with a ‘fly as you wish’ pass—where a flight costs just €9.90—I really got the short end of the stick,” he said. “Now I have no choice but to pay $277 for a one-way El Al flight tonight. It’s frustrating how quickly we’re back to the days when foreign airlines cancel without notice, forcing us to buy expensive tickets from the Israeli carriers. And there aren’t many seats left—they’re going fast.”
The scene of the Houthi missile strike at Ben Gurion Airport
(Video: Tal Shahar, Meir Turgeman)
Will we get refunds and compensation?
Will travelers receive compensation for canceled flights? Not necessarily. Passengers are entitled to refunds or alternatives, but not always to additional compensation.
“If the airline can prove it had to cancel the flight due to an extraordinary security event, like today’s missile strike near Ben Gurion, it may be exempt from paying financial compensation,” attorney Ehud Peleg told Ynet.
“However, even in such cases, the airline must still offer passengers either a replacement flight or a full refund, at the passenger’s discretion. It must also provide assistance such as hotel accommodations and meals until the alternative flight departs.”
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Travelers are advised to monitor updates from their airlines regarding cancellations and resumptions. Lufthansa Group, for example, is allowing affected passengers to cancel or rebook without penalty.
Those who haven’t booked yet are encouraged to choose Israeli airlines and confirm that their flight isn’t operated by a leased aircraft. Prices, however, are already rising. As of now, a one-way ticket on Arkia from New York to Tel Aviv for May 7 costs between $549 and $649, excluding checked baggage. El Al tickets for the same route range from $726 to $866, including baggage—and only a few seats remain.
Passengers are also encouraged to purchase ticket protection (also called “Magen” or “Protect”) when booking with Israeli airlines, which guarantees a refund in case of cancellation. Additionally, travelers stuck abroad should consider extending their travel insurance coverage, which some insurers may renew automatically—but it’s important to confirm.
Some planes turned back
Flight cancellations began shortly after the missile strike. Swiss International Air Lines and Air Europa were among the first to suspend flights to Israel, followed by Lufthansa Group, which includes ITA Airways and Brussels Airlines. Air France also canceled flights to and from Ben Gurion, and budget carrier Wizz Air announced: “We are suspending our flights to Israel until Tuesday morning. We are closely monitoring the situation.”
Later, U.S. airlines joined the wave of cancellations. United Airlines canceled its Tel Aviv-bound flight from New York, while Delta canceled both its Sunday night flight to Tel Aviv and Monday afternoon’s return flight from Israel.
Air India, whose plane had already entered Jordanian airspace on its way to Israel before turning back, said it would cancel all flights to and from Israel through May 6. That flight was rerouted to Abu Dhabi, where Israeli passengers were left stranded. British Airways, Iberia and Ryanair also suspended flights through May 6.
Ethiopian Airlines, however, announced that its flights to Israel would continue as scheduled.