This Article is From Jul 24, 2014

Federal Aviation Administration Lifts Ban on US Flights to Tel Aviv Airport

Federal Aviation Administration Lifts Ban on US Flights to Tel Aviv Airport

A departure flight board displays various cancelled and delayed flights in Ben Gurion International airport a day after the US FAA imposed a 24-hour restriction on flights after a Hamas rocket landed within a mile of the airport, in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Washington: The Federal Aviation Administration has lifted its ban on US flights to Israel, which it had imposed out of concern over the risk of planes being hit by Hamas rockets.

The agency made its decision late Wednesday after working with other US government entities to assess the security situation in Israel. Its decision was effective at 11:45 p.m. EDT.

The FAA instituted a 24-hour prohibition Tuesday on flights to Ben Gurion International Airport in response to a rocket strike that landed about a mile from the airport.

The directive, which was extended Wednesday, applied only to U.S. carriers. The FAA has no authority over foreign airlines operating in Israel.

The FAA's flight ban was criticized by the Israeli government and by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

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