FAA Lifts Ban on Flights to Israel

Business Insider – by PAUL SZOLDRA

The Federal Aviation Administration lifted its ban on U.S. flights going in or out of Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport late Wednesday evening.

“Before making this decision, the FAA worked with its U.S. government counterparts to assess the security situation in Israel and carefully reviewed both significant new information and measures the Government of Israel is taking to mitigate potential risks to civil aviation,” the FAA said in a press release.  

The change comes less than 24 hours after the agency had announced a one-day extension of its travel ban to the international airport in response to a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip.

The rocket had landed just outside the airport’s perimeter.

The FAA did not mention specifics in its reasoning, although it promised to “closely monitor the very fluid situation” happening around the airport.

Here’s the full release:

The FAA has lifted its restrictions on U.S. airline flights into and out of Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport by cancelling a Notice to Airmen it renewed earlier today. The cancellation is effective at approximately 11:45 p.m. EDT.

Before making this decision, the FAA worked with its U.S. government counterparts to assess the security situation in Israel and carefully reviewed both significant new information and measures the Government of Israel is taking to mitigate potential risks to civil aviation.

The FAA’s primary mission and interest are the protection of people traveling on U.S. airlines. The agency will continue to closely monitor the very fluid situation around Ben Gurion Airport and will take additional actions, as necessary.

The FAA initially instituted the flight prohibition on Tuesday, July 22, in response to a rocket strike that landed approximately one mile from the airport.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/faa-lifts-ban-israel-travel-2014-7#ixzz38OJOZBfb