TNA Staff
The New Arab / January 22, 2026
Israel says it is preparing to evacuate civilian aircraft abroad if fighting breaks out with Iran, recalling emergency measures taken during the 12-day war.
Israel is preparing to evacuate civilian aircraft from the country in the event of a war with Iran, according to comments by its transport minister, as the prospect of a wider confrontation continues to loom.
Transport Minister Miri Regev claimed that preparations were underway to relocate Israeli aircraft abroad if fighting were to break out.
Speaking to Israeli radio 103FM, Regev said the transport ministry was planning for “any scenario”, including moving planes to destinations such as Larnaca, Athens and Thailand.
Her remarks follow Israel’s previous emergency evacuation of its aviation fleet during its 12-day war with Iran, a conflict that exposed the limits of Israel’s air defences and forced the closure of Ben Gurion airport.
A senior official at an Israeli airline told The Jerusalem Post that although no evacuation order had yet been issued, Israeli carriers had already incorporated lessons from the earlier conflict into their contingency plans.
During that war, Israeli airlines transferred aircraft to Cyprus, Greece, Thailand, the United States and several European countries in an effort to shield them from Iranian missile fire.
Israel’s national carriers El Al, Arkia, Israir, Air Haifa and Challenge, removed a total of 85 passenger and cargo aircraft from the country, as international airlines rapidly suspended services to Israel, citing security risks.
Carriers including Lufthansa, British Airways and Ryanair halted flights before and during the conflict.
Despite Israeli claims about the effectiveness of its air defence systems, including Arrow 3 and David’s Sling, Iranian ballistic missiles struck multiple locations across Israel, including Tel Aviv, Haifa and Beersheba.
In a further demonstration of Israel’s exposure, ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthis hit the perimeter of Ben Gurion airport in 2025.
The latest warning comes as fears grow over a potential US attack on Iran, with tensions already disrupting aviation across the region.
US President Donald Trump said late on Wednesday that he had hoped military action would not be necessary, even as Washington continues to issue threats against Tehran.
Israel has meanwhile sought to project aggression, with its military chief, Eyal Zamir, claiming on Monday that Israel was ready for a “surprise war” and threatening what he described as an unprecedented offensive response.
Iran has rejected US and Israeli threats, warning that any attack on its territory would be met with retaliation against US bases across the region as well as Israel itself.
