The Federal Aviation Administration has told all U.S. airlines that flights to Israel’s Tel Aviv airport are prohibited for 24 hours after a rocket from Gaza landed in the area.
The FAA said in a statement that the ban on flights is for 24 hours beginning at 12:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday after a rocket landed about one mile from Ben Gurion International Airport Tuesday morning. The airport is located 50 miles north of Gaza, within range of rockets being fired by the militant group Hamas.
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines said earlier Tuesday they are suspending service between the U.S. and Israel indefinitely. US Airways scrapped its Tel Aviv service Tuesday and said it is monitoring the situation in regards to future flights.
Israeli airline El Al, however, maintained its regular flight schedule. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday said he was flying on El Al “to demonstrate that it is safe to fly in and out of Israel.