Israeli airlines are prepared to evacuate their entire fleet from Israel to destinations abroad if required
By Bernie,
Israeli airlines are prepared to evacuate their entire fleet from Israel to destinations abroad if required to protect aircraft from potential Iranian missile strikes, Transportation Minister Miri Regev said Tuesday. No directive to evacuate has been issued, Regev said, but contingency plans are in place.
A senior official at one of the Israeli carriers said companies learned from the fleet evacuation during Operation Im Kalvia in June. "We were required to evacuate the fleet immediately and did so in a very short time," the official said. "We learned and drew lessons from that evacuation, and we will know how to do it if required."
Israel's commercial fleet consists of nearly 85 passenger and cargo aircraft across five carriers. El Al operates 47 aircraft, Arkia has 16, Israir has nine, Air Haifa has five, and Challenge Airlines has three. During the June evacuation, aircraft were dispersed to Cyprus, Athens, Thailand, the United States, and other European destinations.
Regev said on 103fm radio that the Transportation Ministry is prepared to move aircraft to Larnaca, Athens, and Thailand to protect the fleet and ensure Israelis abroad can return home.
Topics: Iran, Missile Defense & Alerts
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