^{El Al airplanes on the tarmac at Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport, October 4, 2022. (Moshe Shai/ Flash90/ File)}

Israel is gearing up to start operating special flight schedules to help bring home more than 100,000 of its citizens stranded abroad since the outbreak of intense hostilities with Iran early Friday.

El Al opened an online registration procedure for repatriation flights for its customers whose flights were canceled and have been stranded abroad since the closure of Israeli airspace early on Friday. Within less than two hours of opening the online form, more than 60,000 stranded passengers registered on the airline’s site, El Al said.

“At this time, El Al is formulating the list of destinations and the scope of flights that will be allowed to operate under this plan,” the company said. “The purpose of the registration is to map the location of our customers in the world, and accordingly build a flight schedule.”

“We emphasize that the order of registration on the site is not important since customers’ priority will be determined by their original flight date…and registration does not confirm flight placement,” the airline added.

The move came after Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced a national operation plan to safely return Israelis stuck abroad, while cautioning that it will take time. According to estimates and subject to the security situation, repatriation flights for Israelis stranded abroad won’t be launched before Thursday.

“We are readying rescue flights to bring Israelis back home,” Regev said. “We will be doing this in a very organized manner in coordination with the Defense Ministry.”

Regev expressed concern that planes flying Israelis back home could be targeted by Iran while on the tarmac.

“I am aware of the distress, but we will not take the risk that we will bring a plane and, God forbid, there will be a ground incident with more than 300 deaths,” she said.

Under the proposed plan, no more than two repatriation flights per hour will be allowed for each airline and probably only during daylight hours, in light of the repeated nighttime missile barrages directed at Israel by Iran. In addition, no passengers will be allowed on the planes that leave Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport and are designated for the repatriation of Israelis abroad to prevent crowding at the terminal and to reduce risks.

Over the weekend, Shmuel Zakai, the head of the Civil Aviation Authority, estimated that it would take weeks before all Israelis stranded abroad could fly home.

Regev said that a dedicated body will be created with representatives from the Transportation Ministry, Foreign Ministry, the Home Front Command and the National Emergency Authority, which will operate a hotline. The body will also be designated to prioritize emergency cases of those citizens who need to return, and for whom the airlines have no response.

Israel’s airspace has been closed for departures and arrivals since the Israel Defense Forces launched a surprise attack on Iran early Friday, leaving those abroad with no way to get back and those stranded in the country with few options to leave.

While El Al has not published a list of cities where Israelis will be able to catch flights home, local carrier Arkia said it is putting together a special repatriation flight schedule from several nearby destinations, as well as European cities and New York.

At this stage, Arkia is working on a schedule of flights from destinations, including Athens, Larnaca, Rome, Paris and New York. The flights will begin as soon as the security establishment okays them, and will fly seven days a week, ​​including Shabbat.

The flights will be for sale via Arkia’s website only. Passengers who hold a voucher following a flight cancellation will be able to redeem it when making the reservation. Neither El Al nor Arkia announced ticket prices for the flights. According to estimates, the airlines will be selling the tickets at a fixed price range for each destination.

Israir also said it was starting preparations to operate flights for Israelis stranded abroad, but cautioned that security issues remain a concern.

“In addition to air travel, we are working to provide a solution via the sea,” Regev said.

Mano Maritime announced on Monday that it will operate two cruise voyages to help bring back stranded Israelis by sea from Cyprus to Israel in coordination with the Transportation Ministry.

Israelis will be able to book tickets on the luxury ship Crown Iris, which can carry 2,000 passengers, and will sail from Limassol in Cyprus to Israel.

The first cruise ship is expected to leave on Wednesday, subject to the security situation and relevant approvals of the defense establishment and other authorities. After arriving in Israel, the ship will return to Limassol for the second voyage.

The ship, operating a 5-star “floating hotel,” will dock in Limassol for a few hours to pick up passengers and then set off for Israel on a voyage that will take about 15 hours. Prices will range from €399 ($406) per person to €650. Reservations for the cruise are made through the company’s website only.

The prices take into account the national situation and do not reflect the real cost of the cruise, including the need for special arrangements in Cyprus for passport and security checks, and additional costs, Mano said.

Source: The Times of Israel