El Al Forced to Cancel New Direct Flight to Vietnam Due to Security Concerns

El Al Airlines has been compelled to cancel its planned direct flight route to Hanoi, Vietnam, which was scheduled to launch in October. Israeli security authorities, operating under the guidelines of the Shin Bet and responsible for aviation security, informed El Al that they could not grant the necessary approvals for operating the route with Israeli aircraft and crews. This decision was made despite El Al's announcement in February about expanding its direct flight destinations, marking the first route expansion since the outbreak of the current conflict. El Al expressed regret over the cancellation, apologized to passengers who had already purchased tickets, and offered a flexible change policy. The airline cited the lack of security approvals from Israeli agencies as the reason for the cancellation.