Every American airline company was banned from flying into Israel’s main airport because of a Hamas rocket that fell near the airport grounds.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued the edict around noon Tuesday, leaving thousands of Americans and Israelis unable to travel to the Holy Land.
“At 12:15 EDT on July 22, 2014, the FAA issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) informing U.S. airlines that they are prohibited from flying to or from Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport for a period of up to 24 hours,” read the alert posted on the FAA website. “The notice was issued in response to a rocket strike which landed approximately one mile from Ben Gurion International Airport on the morning of July 22, 2014. The NOTAM applies only to U.S. operators, and has no authority over foreign airlines operating to or from the airport.”
Strangely, edicts like this have not been issued for ongoing war zones such as Syria or Iraq.
Over 160 flights were cancelled into Ben Gurion Airport.
German airline Lufthansa announced they would be cancelling flights into the airport for at least two days after the FAA’s order.
