Urgent aviation reform needed as Israel’s airspace is reopened for repatriation flights
June 23, 2025
With repatriation flights out of Tel Aviv on Monday 23 June capped at 50 passengers, one stranded British citizen is calling for urgent aviation reform amid the ongoing crisis.
Israel temporarily reopened its airspace on Monday to facilitate the repatriation of thousands of its citizens left stranded overseas and to allow foreign nationals to return home amid the country’s ongoing conflict with Iran.
The situation on the ground
Among those stranded in Israel is Gabriella Somerville, a UK-based aviation entrepreneur and founder of ConnectJets. She has over 30 years of experience in business and commercial aviation.
Somerville flew to Tel Aviv earlier this month on the 10 June for an aviation conference before travelling to Jerusalem. However, the escalating conflict and closure of Israel’s airspace on 13 June have left her stranded in Israel, alongside an estimated 40,000 other foreign nationals.
“I flew out here with Wizz Air and was due to return on 17 June,” she told Aerospace Global News on Monday morning from her hotel in Jerusalem.
Wizz Air suspended its flights to and from Tel Aviv on 13 June, “offering free rebooking to affected customers or a full refund in Wizz credits or the original form of payment,” according to the airline.
Seats on EL AL repatriation flights capped at 50
The repatriation flights operated by Israel-based EL AL follow the reopening of Ben Gurion International Airport’s Terminal 3 for departing flights on 23 June. EL AL is operating a limited number of flights to Rome, London Luton, Athens, Larnaca and Paris.
The Israeli carrier is also operating intercontinental flights from Tel Aviv to New York, Los Angeles and Bangkok. According to the airline it has received 25,000 outbound flight requests since registration opened on Saturday night.
However, due to security concerns flights are capped at 50 passengers. “Do the maths. That simply isn’t going to work. It’ doesn’t add up,” stated Somerville.
Concerns around Ben Gurion being a potential target are the reason behind the cap, with the Home Front Command issuing the order to limit gatherings at the airport and restrict the number of passengers on the tarmac.
Israel’s transportation minister Miri Regev said: “We expect local airlines to operate 14 incoming repatriation flights arriving from international destinations on Monday, and on each outgoing flight there will be a limit of 50 passengers leaving.”
EL AL’s “regular flight schedule is cancelled through June 27. Additionally, EL AL and Sundor flights scheduled to depart through July 22, 2025, have been closed for new bookings in the booking systems until the security situation becomes clearer,” read a statement from the airline.
A report in the Times of Israel, also said that the country’s second biggest carrier, Israir plans to offer a limited number of seats to select European destinations, as does fellow Israeli airline, Arkia. Both carriers are currently repatriating Israelis stranded abroad.
What is the UK doing to repatriate its citizens by air?
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has stated that it is arranging flights next week to evacuate citizens from Israel. A registration process has been launched for those seeking repatriation. One government-chartered flight is scheduled with additional flights dependent on demand and the security situation.
This is “a perilous and volatile moment for the Middle East,” an FCDO spokesperson stated: “The safety of British Nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OTPs) continues to be our utmost priority – that’s why the UK government is preparing flights to help those wanting to leave.
“We are working closely with the Israeli authorities; our staff are continuing to work at pace to assist British Nationals on the ground and ensure they receive the support they need.”
Those with the greatest need will be prioritised for repatriation flights and all those that are eligible will be required to pay for their seat. A refund will be issued to those unsuccessful in their bid for a seat.
The FCDO also warned that with the situation remaining volatile, the government’s ability to run flights out of Israel and OPTs could change at short notice.
FCDO communication not strong enough
Somerville is vocal about the lack of sufficient communication from the FCDO regarding repatriation flights.
“There is a thin line between giving too much or too little information, but there’s been incredibly limited communication from the FCDO,” she said. “People are unsure of their options, so they’re panicking and making rash decisions due to the lack of accurate information.”
She warned: “The government doesn’t have the resources to manage repatriation at this scale. It’s time to outsource to expert-led operations. Without a joined-up strategy, we are failing our citizens.”
Outsourcing to a dedicated repatriation airline
Somerville is advocating for a broader, multi-modal evacuation strategy that includes options by air as well as sea and land, as she highlighted these decisions should have been made at least a week ago.
“The least risky route currently would be by ship to Larnaca in Cyprus, under military protection. From there, we could deploy charter flights. This is something that could move large numbers safely and efficiently.”
To further support future repatriation efforts, Somerville has in recent years been developing plans for a specialised airline under the name Project Gold Air. The aim is to provide continuous air mobility to conflict zones and geopolitically tense regions, she explained.
“Most flight crews are trained for holiday routes, not warzones,” she said. “Unions won’t allow them to fly into these environments. But we need an airline designed for this very purpose—one that can land and take-off quickly, transport both freight and people, and operate under extreme conditions with experienced crew.”
Somerville is already evaluating aircraft with significant cargo and passenger capacity as well as range and has received a significant surge in interest for the project because of the escalating crisis in the Middle East.
Aviation the enabler
Somerville sees the current situation as a reckoning for global aviation. “We’re seeing legacy carriers pull out of entire regions,” she said citing British Airways’ decision to cease flights to Bahrain as an example.
“Aviation has always been an enabler, especially for humanitarian aid and trade. But now we’re seeing airlines withdraw from certain regions which is restricting both trade and humanitarian activity,” she said.
According to Somerville, “legacy carriers are unable to keep continued air mobility into these volatile regions, so an airline that is dedicated to hybrid military-commercial operations is key.”
Reiterating that the current situation is not just a temporary crisis, she concluded: “The geopolitical landscape is changing. Evacuations like this will happen again, and we need an aviation model that can respond rapidly to repatriation requirements.”
Somerville is currently coordinating with a US-led entity to explore maritime evacuation to Cyrpus for herself and other stranded individuals. From Larnaca onward flights will be more widely available.
