henkybaby

I guess you all want BA to be safe and suspend all flights too, right ?

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28427236

But no: https://twitter.com/British_Airways/...17700712427520

So, what do you think of BA's safety reputation now ? Or is this 'different' somehow ?

(I'll get a beer)

crazy8534

Interesting question henkybaby. I know you narrowly avoided MH17 so it must feel close to home.

I don't think it is different- a situation of increased danger to safe aircraft operations brought about by conflict on the ground.

If, as I think we are being led to believe, BA were avoiding overflying eastern Ukraine out of 'an abundance of caution', then I can't see that they can continue to fly into TLV until the situation improves.

For the record, I don't think MH could have remotely forseen what might happen, but then being over-cautious is a mitigation against the 'unforseen'.

Swanhunter

An example of the US over-reacting to events in a foreign country?

henkybaby

Just wondering how double standards will be applied here.

jr611

I'm in Tel Aviv right now so let me shed some light on this. (and I happen to be booked on a BA flight on Monday out of TLV). Yes, a rocket or shrapnel of a rocket hit near the airport but Tel Aviv is definitely not a war zone. Aside from the once or twice a day siren when the Iron Dome (hopefully) intercepts the rocket from Gaza, life is normal in the area. I don't quite blame the airlines for canceling in light of MH17 but I also don't think you can blame BA for not canceling. There are actually less frequent rocket attacks now than there were a week or two ago and the only reason you didn't hear about them was because they were successfully intercepted. Now, one may have gotten through but this is (hopefully) a rare occurrence. Basically what I'm saying is, I think airlines are only canceling in light of the MH17 incident and if not, they would have cancelled a week or two ago when situations were worse.

FLT001

With EU carriers now doing the same hard to see how BA can hold out?

It's possible this is a over reaction based on last weeks events but if a rocket landed near the airport there is a risk it could land on a runway.

paulwuk

Hamas did say they were targeting the military base at TLV some weeks ago.

Avoiding the Ukraine just costs the airline a bit more money in extra fuel. Actually cancelling a flight is a lot different on the downside side.

That said I'm surprised that BA are still flying and air France aren't / AF are the ones that diverted from Beirut into Damascus in the middle of a civil war, then had a whip round to pay for fuel.

I assume easyjet haven't cancelled?

MrSimonR

Isn't there also a (not insignificant) risk that a nutter returning from nutter training camp in Syria will launch a rocket at an aircraft taking off from LHR?

henkybaby

I think that risk is slightly higher at Tel Aviv...

T8191

... Or a subtle bit of political leverage on Israel?

paulwuk

Once rockets start being launched in the uk, or even found, then perhaps airlines will reevaluate the risk. Until then we're safe when our cordless toothbrush is confiscated due to a flat battery, and that bottle of water you have for the 30C heat is thrown in the pile of explosives at every X-ray.

PJSMITH0

According to flight stats all airlines operating to TLV today and although Delta and United are shown as cancelled on 23/7 US Airways are still shown as operating as are all EU airlines.

jr611

US Airways flying out empty... http://i.imgur.com/rJZhReR.png

mjrkong

Hmmm.

Does Hamas have Ground-to-Air missiles?
Have any other planes been shot down over the area?

IIRC, those were two of the givens of the area that MH17 was shot down over, right?

T8191

Incoming ground-to-ground missiles, which Hamas launches intensively, can severely disrupt your priority boarding procedure, baggage handling efficiency ... and actually destroy aircraft on the ground and kill people.