Israeli airline offering 6 flights to New York to evacuate U.S. citizens stranded during Iran war
An El Al flight takes off with passengers on the first day flights resumed from Ben Gurion International Aiport on March 8. Credit: Getty Images/Alexi J. Rosenfeld
An Israeli airline is running six special flights from Tel Aviv to New York to evacuate Americans who may have been stranded during the Iran war.
El Al Israel Airlines, the country's national airline, announced Friday that it would begin operating flights Sunday for U.S. citizens whose flights were canceled following the U.S. strike on Iran and Iranian retaliatory strikes on nations in the Middle East.
The airline is working with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem starting Sunday to fly six nonstop flights from Tel Aviv to New York "designated exclusively for American citizens."
On Sunday, airline officials will begin contacting stranded passengers whose El Al flights were canceled and had not been rescheduled. Passengers will be offered seats on the emergency flights at no charge but are asked to register on the El Al website.
"These flights are expected to depart at full capacity, subject to government approvals," according to the airline. "El Al is prepared to expand the flight schedule for dedicated flights for American citizens, understanding that the current number of flights provides only a partial solution and does not meet the high demand."
The U.S. government has faced criticism for not having evacuation plans in place prior to strikes on Iran two weeks ago. Americans abroad have been scrambling to reschedule flights home after widespread cancellations.
The U.S. State Department authorized up to $40 million in emergency funds to help evacuate Americans from the Middle East, officials announced this week. The State Department has already evacuated more than 50,000 Americans on more than four dozen charter flights, spokesman Tommy Pigott said Friday.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said the agreement with El Al will support any American citizens looking to leave Israel.
U.S. officials have also evacuated civilians and nonessential embassy staff throughout the Middle East while Iran has launched drone and other strikes in retaliation to its neighbors.
El Al said it is operating under an emergency with the Israel Civil Aviation Authority and canceled all other flights scheduled to depart through March 21. The airline was operating only about 20% of its regular flights, officials said, only running recovery flights from certain global destinations.
"The number of flights allowed — and the number of passengers permitted on each flight — is explicitly determined by government and security authorities. These restrictions directly affect the pace of passenger reassignments," the airline said on its website. "We hope that no further cancellations will be required, but if safety considerations or government directives necessitate it, additional flights will be canceled and affected passengers will be notified immediately."
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
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