United Kingdom arranging flights from Israel for British nationals

Many major airlines suspended flights to and from Israel after attacks
UK government is facilitating flights from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport
British nationals eligible to go will be contacted directly: news release

Updated: Oct 12, 2023 / 09:33 AM CDT

(NewsNation) — The United Kingdom is facilitating commercial flights out of Israel, with the first flight departing from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday.

Vulnerable British nationals and their dependents will be prioritized for these flights, according to a news release. Those eligible for flights will be directly contacted by the UK government, which urges British nationals not to go to the airport unless they are called.

These flights will be arranged by the Foreign Office, but each passenger will be charged £300, or $369.12, which reflects the costs of operating the flight only, the news release said.

“While it is our intention to run these flights, security considerations will always be paramount,” the U.K. government noted in a news release.

The BBC reports that the United Kingdom said earlier this week it would not arrange evacuation flights, as commercial routes were still available — however, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, EasyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Air France, Lufthansa and Emirates all recently suspended flights in and out of Israel. American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines did the same. Even when people are able to get flights, they can be expensive, leaving some stranded.

Officials in the U.K. have been working in London, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to support British citizens still in Israel ever since the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked over the weekend. Israel swiftly declared war.

Assisting British consular officials in their endeavors is a rapid deployment team.

“The safety of all British nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) continues to be our utmost priority, and we urge everyone to continue to follow our travel advice,” the U.K. said. This advice includes registering one’s presence with the Foreign Office, which urges people against all travel to parts of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

U.K Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Israel on Wednesday while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived Thursday. Both were there to reiterate the countries’ support for Israel and meet with its leaders.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.