Hundreds of Israelis stranded at Aqaba Airport as Jordan suspends flights

Hundreds of Israelis were stranded at King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba, southern Jordan, on Sunday after the Kingdom suspended flights of Israeli airline Arkia, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

The channel aired a video showing hundreds of Israelis stranded at Aqaba Airport.

There was no official comment from Jordan on the matter.

Israel has closed Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv amid missile and drone attacks from Tehran, in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks on Iran since Feb. 28.

Arkia, Israel’s second-largest airline, said last week that it would transfer most of its operations to airports in Jordan and Egypt.

The company, however, said Sunday that Jordanian authorities were preventing it from implementing its plans, according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

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Israeli aviation officials told the paper that Arkia would likely be forced to cancel all its flights through Jordan.

In a Sunday statement, the Israeli airline said that part of its operations would be transferred to Taba Airport in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, according to operational capacity and required permits.

According to Israeli data, 29,429 people left Israel by land, air and sea by March 13 following the outbreak of war with Iran.
The US and Israel have maintained airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

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