DUBAI, May 14 (Reuters) - Wizz Air has cancelled
all flights to Tel Aviv on Friday and Saturday, joining other
airlines in avoiding Israel due to escalating conflict there.
Flights to Tel Aviv from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab
Emirates, Larnaca in Cyprus and Varna in Bulgaria were cancelled
on Friday, Wizz Air's website showed.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has warned
airlines to monitor heightened tensions in Israel, including
exchanges of rocket fire and air strikes. "The situation in the
region remains a matter of high concern for commercial
aviation," it said in a bulletin to airlines on Wednesday.
Emirati carrier flydubai was to operate three of four
scheduled flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Friday, and two of
four scheduled services on Saturday, its website showed.
An airline spokeswoman said fewer flights were being
operated due to a drop in demand.
Other airlines including British Airways and
American Airlines cancelled flights to Tel Aviv earlier
in the week.
Palestinian militants have repeatedly shelled the Tel Aviv
area during hostilities that erupted on Monday, raising safety
concerns about Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main airport, and
prompting some carriers to reroute flights to Ramon Airport,
some 200 km (125 miles) to the south, near the Red Sea city of
Eilat.
(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; editing by Jason Neely)
International Airlines (IAG)
