Thousands of Israelis found themselves stranded abroad Friday after Israel closed Ben Gurion International Airport following a large-scale preemptive strike on Iran in an operation dubbed “Rising Lion.”
Israel’s Ministry of Transport announced early Friday morning that Israel’s airspace had been closed to all takeoffs and landings “until further notice,” leaving tens of thousands of travelers without clear information about when they might return home.
“The closure is intended to prevent and minimize risk to passengers and aircraft,” the ministry said in a statement.
Among those affected was Paz Shakarov, 42, of Rishon LeZion, who was stranded in Romania when his return flight was canceled.
Israeli Paz Shakarov in Romania after his flight back to Israel was cancelled. (Courtesy)
It was 3 a.m., and my uncle called and told me there was a big balagan in Israel. We got up and looked at the news and realized our flight was canceled. Now, we are stuck here until flights resume.
“It was 3 a.m., and my uncle called and told me there was a big balagan in Israel,” Shakarov said, using a Hebrew slang word for chaos. “We got up and looked at the news and realized our flight was canceled. Now, we are stuck here until flights resume.”
Shakarov said he was struggling to find hotel accommodations and was overwhelmed with worry about his family back home. This marked his second time being stranded during a crisis—he was stuck in Dubai during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev and ministry Director-General Moshe Ben-Zaken activated the ministry’s emergency operations center. Regev updated counterparts worldwide, noting that Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority was working closely with international airlines.
Passengers were evacuated from Ben Gurion Airport, though officials could not immediately confirm how many people were present or how many flights were canceled. The ministry partnered with Israel Railways to launch special trains to move travelers away from the airport area.
El Al, Israel’s national carrier, immediately rerouted flights bound for Tel Aviv to Italy, Barcelona, London, Greece and other destinations. Two other Israeli carriers, Arkia and Israir, took similar steps.
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“All El Al flights scheduled to depart for Israel tonight and tomorrow are canceled until further notice,” the airline said. “We urge passengers to arrange accommodations abroad until there is a change in the security instructions. Flights that were en route to Israel have been diverted to alternative El Al destinations. Flights scheduled to depart from Israel are also canceled until further notice.”
El Al announced that passengers who booked tickets by June 13 for travel through June 28 could cancel their trips and receive credit vouchers. No new bookings will be accepted until at least June 22.
Foreign airlines were similarly grounded, with departure boards at Ben Gurion Airport displaying in red: “Cancelled.”
Mark Feldman, CEO of the Ziontours Jerusalem travel agency, compared the situation to the September 11, 2001, attacks and the October 7 Hamas assault.
The situation is serious. Thousands—just among our clients—are stranded in different airports: Abu Dhabi, Paphos, New York.
“The situation is serious,” he said. “Thousands—just among our clients—are stranded in different airports: Abu Dhabi, Paphos, New York.”
Feldman said the most pressing concern is that “we have no idea when Ben Gurion will reopen—and that’s what clients are asking: How do we get out? How do we get back? There is no clear answer.”
He predicted that travelers could be grounded for at least 72 hours and that even the resumption of flights on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday remains uncertain. He compared the shutdown to 9/11, when global airspace closures stranded travelers for four days. This time, the restrictions applied only to Israel and parts of Jordan.
Jordan fully reopened its airspace Friday morning.
Feldman said that, as a travel agent, he has access to airline updates not shared with the public. He learned of one US airline flight departing with no passengers on board.
For now, Feldman is telling his clients to sit tight.
“Don’t do anything until you know the airport is open,” he advised. “Don’t make plans for Sunday or Monday—because no one knows if there will be a plane to fly in or out.”
Some travelers expressed frustration but understood the need for the restrictive security measures.
Jerusalem resident Glen Ladau had been scheduled to fly to Florida for work meetings over the next two weeks.
It’s getting very frustrating not to be able to make any plans or schedule anything. But to be honest, I’d rather be stuck here than stuck out of here.
“It’s getting very frustrating not to be able to make any plans or schedule anything,” Ladau told The Media Line. “But to be honest, I’d rather be stuck here than stuck out of here.”
Ladau said it would have been worse if he had left the week before and hadn’t been with his family during the attack. He added that he appreciated Israel’s proactive approach, contrasting it with what he described as an “embarrassing” previous incident in May, when a Houthi missile hit Ben Gurion Airport.
“Israel was playing the victim and accepting being shot at,” he said of the earlier incident. “These strikes, I feel pride. We have shown strength and are doing something proactive. It definitely feels different.”
While en route to Israel, Rachel Danziger was diverted to Cyprus, her flight landing just 10 minutes before its scheduled arrival in Tel Aviv. In a Facebook post, she described passengers caring for each other during the unexpected stop.
“Here is the good news: Everyone on the plane is taking care of each other. The crew took out toys for the kids. Passengers are loaning phones to each other. This nice young American girl opened a hotspot for half the plane. People are offering food and hugs and encouragement. I am away from home. I want my family. But in an airplane filled with strangers, I am surrounded by my people, and they are my family, too. We are in it together,” she wrote.
Still, uncertainty remained, as travelers were told to monitor airline websites and the Israel Airports Authority for updates, with Liza Dvir, a spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority, telling The Media Line on Friday afternoon that there was “no indication at the moment” when normal operations would resume.