News / Israeli key air cargo gateway hit by missile attack, and Houthis warn of more

Photo: © Vadim Lerner, Dreamstime.com

Airlines have suspended services into Israel’s key gateway of Ben Gurion, after a missile attack by Yemeni rebels over the weekend and threats of more to come.

Eight people were injured by the blast from the strike by the Iran-backed Houthis on Sunday morning, and the group later warned it was imposing a “comprehensive aerial blockade”, targeting the airport.

Citing ICAO regulations, the Houthis warned carriers “to cancel their flights to the airports of the criminal Israeli enemy, in order to safeguard the safety of their aircraft and passengers”, or risk being in violation of “international safety requirements”.

Alongside a number of budget carriers, British Airways, Delta Airlines, and Lufthansa have suspended services, the German flag-carrier being one of Ben Gurion’s larger freighter operators.

However, live tracking data indicates DHL is still servicing the airport, having moved some 76 tonnes in the past 24 hours, with a 12.3% week-on-week upturn in outbound volumes for the week ending 4 May.

And Ben Gurion’s arrival and departure board shows Emirates and FlyDubai as having also flown as scheduled today, and while 66 flights have been cancelled in the past 24 hours, Chinese, Cypriot, Greek, Israeli, and Russian carriers appear willing to risk attacks, dozens of their services having departed this morning.

Their disregard of the threat may in part be explained by a lack of awareness. Despite the Houthis seemingly addressing the statement to airlines, carrier representatives The Loadstar contacted today appeared unaware of the specific threat to Ben Gurion Airport.