Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 18, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
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Repatriation flights for Israelis in Cyprus have begun amid the Israel-Iran conflict, with Arkia operating flights to Tel Aviv and Haifa.
NICOSIA (Reuters) -Flights took off for Israel on Wednesday from Cyprus, airport sources and web flight tracking sites showed, ferrying home Israelis stranded abroad during the conflict with Iran.
Israel's airspace has been closed since the two countries began trading attacks on Friday, stranding tens of thousands whose flights to Tel Aviv were cancelled.
Israel announced special flights for the repatriation of its nationals on Tuesday.
One flight operated by Arkia left Cyprus's Larnaca airport at 07:25 a.m. (0425 GMT) for Tel Aviv. Nine more were expected to depart Wednesday for Haifa, and four for Tel Aviv, carrying about 1,000 people, sources in airport operator Hermes said.
Israel's Transportation Ministry has said as many as 150,000 Israelis are abroad, with about a third trying to get home.
Large numbers have converged on Cyprus, the European Union member nation closest to Israel. Earlier on Wednesday, a cruise ship arrived in Cyprus carrying 1,500 participants in a Jewish heritage programme who had left Israel on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Michele Kambas; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Israel's airspace has been closed due to ongoing conflict with Iran, leaving many travelers unable to return home.
Israel's Transportation Ministry estimates that as many as 150,000 Israelis are abroad, with about a third trying to return.
Arkia is one of the airlines operating repatriation flights from Cyprus to Israel, with multiple flights scheduled.
Cyprus is the closest European Union member nation to Israel, making it a key location for Israelis trying to return home.
Earlier on Wednesday, a cruise ship arrived in Cyprus carrying 1,500 participants in a Jewish heritage program.
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