Israeli authorities announced Thursday that over 20,000 citizens have successfully returned to their homeland following the closure of the country’s airspace during weekend military operations involving Iran, according to the Transportation Ministry.
Officials began gradually reopening Israeli airspace Thursday, permitting limited flights to touch down at Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv.
The country shut down its airspace Saturday when U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran commenced, leading to retaliatory missile attacks from Iran that left tens of thousands of travelers stranded in foreign countries.
Transportation Ministry data indicates approximately 120,000 Israeli citizens currently overseas are requesting assistance to return home, with officials estimating the complete repatriation process will require seven to 10 days to complete.
According to Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority, nearly 300,000 Israelis traveled internationally over the past three months, while airlines report tens of thousands of customers are now seeking return passage.
The Transportation Ministry stated it is working to increase travel options through air, land, and sea entry points for both arrivals and departures.
The majority of returning Israelis have entered the country through land border crossings into Eilat, the southern Red Sea resort destination.
Israeli carriers have conducted evacuation flights from European destinations to Taba, Egypt and Aqaba, Jordan — both cities neighboring Eilat.
While these alternative route flights continue, Israel’s four national airlines — flag carrier El Al, Israir, Arkia and Air Haifa — have resumed service to Tel Aviv. Despite the gradual airspace reopening, only arriving aircraft are currently permitted, limited to one landing hourly due to ongoing Iranian missile threats.
“We are doing everything to return every Israeli home safely,” stated Transportation Minister Miri Regev, a former military Brigadier General.
“With the opening of airspace, the return of Israelis to Israel began, and we continue to work around the clock together with all parties to expand the options for returning and leaving the country in accordance with security restrictions,” she added.
The initial aircraft to reach Ben Gurion included Israir and Arkia flights arriving from Rome, plus an El Al flight from Athens. Additional flights from European cities, the United States, and Asia are scheduled.
Ben Gurion Airport announced outbound flights will restart Sunday, though initially restricted to 50 passengers per departure.
Israeli airlines have suspended ticket sales from March 15 through March 21 to prioritize rebooking customers whose previous flights were canceled when airspace restrictions were implemented.
