Massive drop-off in flights leaves Israelis and their companies isolated

Direct routes from Israel to major cities – Washington, San Francisco, Toronto, Hong Kong and New Delhi – have been suspended for months and some indefinitely, reducing face-to-face business meetings as well as cargo reliant on passenger flights. Of the 20 airlines that dominated the market before the war, Israeli companies are nearly the only ones remaining. The number of planes and passengers into Ben Gurion Airport fell by 40 per cent in the first nine months of 2024, according to the airport authority.