Airways Magazine June 2024 | Page 39

AIRWAYS SPECIAL Handling the Threats
FRANCESCO R . CECCHETTI · JFK suspended flights to Tel Aviv , in effect giving the Israeli airlines a monopoly .
Israel ’ s main gateway , Ben Gurion International Airport ( TLV ), named after Israel ’ s first Prime Minister , David Ben Gurion , is less than 40 miles ( 65km ) from the front lines of the war in Gaza .
Yet , the airport has remained open to receive civil aviation traffic throughout the war — unlike other war zones , such as Ukraine , which closed their airspaces from the moment war broke out .
So , what makes Israel different ? For starters , the country was intent on keeping its airspace open . It ’ s
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