El Al Cancels Planned Hanoi Flights Due to Security Clearance Issues

Israeli airline El Al announced the cancellation of its planned flight route to Hanoi, Vietnam, originally scheduled to begin operations in October. The company cited the lack of security approvals from Israeli security agencies, specifically the Shin Bet, as the reason for halting the launch. Although El Al had received preliminary approvals before announcing the new route, it was later informed that final authorization would not be granted after completing operational preparations.

El Al stated that passengers who had already purchased tickets for the canceled flights would be offered flexible options. These include rerouting to Hanoi via Bangkok with a connecting flight on a foreign carrier at no extra cost, changing to another El Al destination on the same dates without additional fees, receiving a full refund, or obtaining a credit voucher for future use.