Israel’s El Al Airlines said on Monday it was reviewing its operations, and carrier Arkia said it was taking the unprecedented action of shifting its operations to Egypt and Jordan, after the Transportation Ministry ordered a sharp reduction of traffic at Ben Gurion Airport, upending travel plans for tens of thousands of Israelis.

Late on Sunday after a security assessment, Transportation Minister Miri Regev opted to scale back the number of takeoffs and landings from Ben Gurion “in order to prevent potential risk to human life” due to continued Iranian missile fire at Israel. The move comes ahead of the Passover holiday next week and with schools going on vacation starting Tuesday.

The new limitations were set to go into effect starting 5 p.m. Monday, with the number of passengers permitted on a flight departing Ben Gurion Airport dropping to 50 from the current 120. There will be no restrictions on the number of passengers on arriving flights. However, the number of takeoffs and landings at Ben Gurion Airport will be restricted to one per hour, instead of the two previously allowed.

“This is an inconvenience, but our commitment to human life is our top priority, and this is where the decision is derived from,” said Regev. “At any given moment, in accordance with the recommendations of the security establishment and professional bodies, the guidelines may change.”

Arkia said the new directive effectively constituted a closure of the country’s airspace.

Flag carrier El Al said it was reviewing continued operations at the country’s main gateway due to the “significant” reduction in the number of passengers departing Israel, as well as in takeoffs and landings.

El Al, which has been operating repatriation flights since the outbreak of the US-Israeli air war with Iran on February 28, called on authorities to open Ramon Airport near the Red Sea port of Eilat as an alternative to Ben Gurion.

El Al has not yet updated its new flight schedule, but said it plans to operate a schedule for continued “essential activity” to maintain the air bridge to and from Israel.

Israir did not immediately publish a response to the new restrictions.

“Arkia will continue to operate responsibly in accordance with the guidelines, while maintaining the safety of its passengers and providing........

© The Times of Israel