UPDATE 5-Israel looks to back-up airport as flight cancellations mount

(Adds Virgin Atlantic latest statement)

By Sarah Young and Dan Williams

LONDON/JERUSALEM, May 13 (Reuters) - British Airways
, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa and Iberia all cancelled
flights to Tel Aviv as European carriers joined U.S. airlines in
avoiding flying to Israel, which has activated a back-up airport
in the far south as a precaution against rockets from Gaza.

Palestinian militants have repeatedly shelled the Tel Aviv
area during hostilities that erupted on Monday, raising safety
concerns over Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main airport, and
prompting it to reroute some flights to Ramon Airport, some 200
km (125 miles) to the south, which serves Eilat.

"The safety and security of our colleagues and customers is
always our top priority, and we continue to monitor the
situation closely," British Airways said after cancelling its
flights to and from Ben Gurion for Thursday.

Hamas militants in Gaza said they had launched a rocket at
Ramon Airport on Thursday, but the Israel Airports Authority
said that no rocket had struck Ramon and that it was operating
as normal. The airport, which opened in 2019, can handle about 2
million passengers a year. It is connected by bus routes to the
north, although there is no train service.

Its arrivals board showed several El Al Israel Airlines Ltd.
flights from abroad that had been originally scheduled
to land at Ben Gurion.

An Israeli official said the two airports were operating in
sync. Ben Gurion was handling cargo, private and some other
flights, and Ramon is "open for landing international commercial
flights" and running scheduled domestic flights, he said.

Social media carried footage, purportedly taped by a
passenger on an El Al flight from Brussels that was the first
plane rerouted to Ramon, showing the view through the window of
rockets being fired and intercepted over Tel Aviv. Reuters could
not independently verify the footage.

UK-based Virgin Atlantic cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv
for Wednesday and Thursday.

Spanish airline Iberia also cancelled its flight to Tel Aviv
from Madrid on Thursday and back on Friday a spokeswoman said,
while Germany's Lufthansa also cancelled its flights.

"Due to the current situation in Israel, Lufthansa is
suspending its flights to Tel Aviv until Friday, May 14," the
airline said.

Wizz Air said it had delayed its Thursday flight
from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv until Friday.

Emirati carrier Flydubai said it was continuing to operate
daily flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The airline was scheduled
to operate three flights on Thursday, its website showed, while
a fourth, night-time flight was cancelled.

United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and
American Airlines on Wednesday all cancelled flights
between the United States and Tel Aviv.

Virgin Atlantic had said earlier this week that bookings to
Israel had soared 250% week on week after an announcement by
Britain that Israel was on its "green list" for the reopening of
overseas leisure travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But an explosion of violence, with fighting in Jerusalem and
the Gaza Strip causing mounting civilian deaths, have made
international airlines wary of the region.

Israel's national airline El Al has said it was ready to
operate additional planes to make up for shortfalls in foreign
carriers.

British airline easyJet said that it was not yet
cancelling its flights to Tel Aviv. Its next flight there is
from Berlin and not scheduled until May 16, with a service from
London Luton to Tel Aviv scheduled for May 18.
(Reporting by Sarah Young; Additional reporting by Inti
Landauro in Madrid, Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt and Alexander
Cornwell in Dubai; Editing by Michael Holden, Carmel Crimmins
and Hugh Lawson)