Flights to Israel from Nigeria undisrupted despite war

Flights to Tel Aviv Airport, Israel from Nigeria have remained undisrupted following the war between Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian terror group.

BusinessDay findings show that Ethiopian Airlines and Qatar Airways, the two major airlines that connect flights from Nigeria to Israel are still operating flights to Tel Aviv Airport.

Susan Akporiaye, president, of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, (NANTA), told BusinessDay that airlines are still flying from Nigeria to Israel because people are going there for different reasons and not everywhere in Israel has the crisis.

“People still go to where they want to go and do what they want to do where there are no problems and come back. That is why there has been no announcement of flight cancellations to Israel. It is only when it gets to the extent that all their borders are closed that they cancel flights. If their border is not closed, flights will still go.

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“The only thing that would happen is that they may reduce frequency because people will have reservations about travelling. If this happens, traffic will reduce and airlines will reduce frequencies,” Akporiaye said.

She explained that Nigerians hardly travel to Israel with European airlines because of transit visa requirements.

BusinessDay’s findings show that most Nigerians who travel to Israel either go for pilgrimage or tourism, while a few people travel there for business.

However, dozens of flights to and from Tel Aviv to other countries have been cancelled by major airlines Saturday and Sunday after the Palestinian terror group Hamas launched a large-scale attack, stranding holiday tourists in Israel and leaving Israelis abroad scrambling for a way to return home.

American Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates, and Ryanair were among those pulling flights to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.

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However, airlines did not stop commercial air links with Israel’s second international airport at Eilat, a tourist destination on the Red Sea.

And Israeli flag carrier El Al said Sunday that it was maintaining its Tel Aviv flights for now, though some flights operated by foreign partners had been cancelled.

“We might cancel flights to places where we don’t have a lot of Israelis to help other Israelis in other places,” a spokeswoman told AFP.

In a statement, El Al added that it was operating “in accordance with the instructions of the Israeli security forces,” with all flights now departing only from Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion airport.

Like most other airlines, it said clients could change their tickets without charge.

But Israelis trying to return home expressed their frustration to media outlets Sunday as their flights were delayed or cancelled. Israir and Arkia Airlines have organized rescue flights to return Israelis abroad.