Amid intensified rocket fire and three direct hits, Israel’s Transportation Ministry has adopted security officials’ recommendations for a significant tightening of flight operations.

A decision was made on Sunday evening to significantly reduce the number of passengers on outbound flights from Israel. Starting at midnight, outbound flights will be limited to just 50 passengers, with only one departure per hour. Incoming flights remain unchanged.

Under the new framework, which will take effect tonight at midnight, each departing flight will be limited to approximately 50 passengers. Until now, flights had been allowed to carry between 120 and 150 passengers.

In addition to the passenger cap, the pace of air traffic will be further reduced: starting at midnight, only one takeoff per hour will be permitted, alongside one landing. It was clarified that these new restrictions apply only to outbound flights, while incoming flights will continue operating at regular passenger capacity.

This decision follows an earlier tightening introduced last Wednesday, when wide-body aircraft were limited to 130 passengers and narrow-body aircraft to 120. These measures were implemented after an unusual incident in which interceptor debris fell within the airport grounds, causing damage to three private aircraft.

The current shift reverses a brief period of easing earlier this week, during which higher passenger capacity was approved and even full-capacity flights to North America (up to around 270 passengers) were authorized to meet rising demand.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)