Israel is expected to announce a plan for a full return of flight operations at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport from as early as midnight Wednesday-Thursday, following the recent ceasefire that halted the joint US-Israel military campaign against Iran, an aviation official told The Times of Israel.

A Transportation Ministry announcement on the full resumption of flight schedules at Ben Gurion Airport was expected on Wednesday evening, the aviation official said.

Israel’s airspace has been shut to most foreign airline traffic since the war began on February 28. In early March, Ben Gurion Airport partially reopened for limited inbound and outbound flights operated by Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia, Israir and Air Haifa for the purpose of repatriating Israelis stuck abroad and helping travelers stranded inside the country to leave.

Israir and Arkia announced on Wednesday that they were preparing for a gradual expansion of flight operations at Ben Gurion Airport following the ceasefire with Iran that was declared overnight Tuesday-Wednesday.

Both airlines are planning on increasing their flight frequencies and number of passengers on aircraft departing from Israel, subject to the policy and guidelines by the Transportation Ministry and relevant aviation authorities.

Arkia said it will begin operating flights to Athens, Larnaca, Rome, Vienna, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Bangkok, New York and Budapest.

It added that it is giving priority........

© The Times of Israel