Major international air carriers have suspended or cancelled flight services in and out of the Israeli city of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport after Hamas launched its surprise attack over the weekend and said that they are waiting for safety conditions to improve. 

According to a report by flight tracking website, Flightradar24, about 50 per cent of the flights scheduled for Tel Aviv did not operate on Sunday (Oct 8) and one-third of the flights were cancelled on Monday as of 6:41 pm (local time). 

Indian air carrier Air India said that it would suspend the flights operating to and from Tel Aviv till at least October 14, “for the safety of our passengers and crew,” said the airline’s spokesperson, in a statement. 

It added that they will provide all possible support to passengers who have confirmed bookings which have now been cancelled. 

Meanwhile, American air carriers United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines, on Sunday, suspended direct flights to Israel following an advisory by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urging airlines to use caution.