Smoke in the area of Ben Gurion airport after a ballistic missile was fired at the Israeli-occupied territories from Yemen on May 4, 2025. (A photo by Israeli media)
Several foreign airlines have suspended flights to the Israeli-occupied territories following a ballistic missile strike from Yemen that hit the perimeter of Ben Gurion International Airport.
Among the airlines canceling flights were Austrian Airlines, Air France, Ryanair, Azerbaijan Airlines, British Airways, and Air Europa.
Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air announced the cancellation of its flights to Tel Aviv for the next 48 hours.
Air India, Lufthansa, SWISS, and ITA Airlines have also suspended flights until Tuesday.
An Air India flight bound for Ben Gurion turned back to India mid-flight during the stoppage.
Departing flights remained grounded, while incoming planes circled overhead rather than being redirected to airports in Cyprus.
Flight schedule disruptions are expected to continue for several days until the situation stabilizes.
The Israeli military reported that the missile wounded eight people after both the Israeli Arrow and US THAAD anti-missile systems failed to intercept it.
Following the strike, senior Yemeni official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said that "the shelling of Ben-Gurion Airport is proof of our ability to strike fortified sites in Israel."
The Yemeni military said it carried out a fresh retaliatory operation against Israel in support of the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Yemen's Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the attacks proved the failure and inability of the US and Israel to intercept the missile.
He said the attack forced more than three million Israeli settlers to take shelter. He said operations at the airport were completely halted for more than an hour.
Saree renewed warnings to all international airlines against continuing their flights to the Israeli airport, as it has become unsafe for air traffic.
The Yemeni army spokesman said the country’s military will continue to remain steadfast and resolute in the face of the American aggression against the Arab nation.
