HONG KONG, Oct 22 — Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific said today that it was cancelling all flights between the city and Tel Aviv until the end of the year, over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“In view of the ongoing situation in Israel, all Cathay Pacific flights between Hong Kong and Tel Aviv from today up to and including 31 December 2023 will be cancelled,” the airline said in a statement on its website.
It also urged its customers to continue to check its flight information and announcements for updates on departures beyond December 31.
At least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel following Hamas’ attack on October 7, according to Israeli officials.
Israel has retaliated with relentless strikes on the Gaza Strip that have killed more than 4,300 Palestinians, also mainly civilians, the Hamas-run health ministry in the enclave says.
Tens of thousands of Israeli troops are massed around Gaza for a widely predicted ground invasion.
Cathay is the latest in a string of airlines to halt flights to Israel over the conflict.
Last week, US carrier Delta said it was cancelling all flights to the country as it searched for “safe alternatives” for customers travelling to Tel Aviv.
American Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates and Ryanair also suspended flights to Tel Aviv last weekend.
Israeli flag carrier El Al says it is maintaining its Tel Aviv flights for now, though some flights operated by foreign partners have been cancelled.
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.
Several countries have warned against travel to Israel, as well as neighbouring Lebanon, with many moving to repatriate their citizens in the region. — AFP
