Skip to main content

A departure flight board displays various cancelled and delayed flights in Ben Gurion International airport in Tel Aviv on July 23, 2014.DAN BALILTY/The Associated Press

Air Canada says a flight to Tel Aviv had to perform a "go-around" over southern Israel today until airspace conditions could be confirmed as safe for landing.

Airline spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur did not state a specific reason for Flight AC84's go-around, but said the airline plans to operate this evening's flight to Tel Aviv as scheduled.

In the second such salvo in as many days, Hamas said it fired three rockets at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport on Friday, an apparent bid to cripple operations there. Ben Gurion's passenger hall emptied at the sound of sirens. The Israeli army confirmed the rockets were shot down over Tel Aviv by the Iron Dome air-defence system, CTV News and Agence France-Presse reported.

Arthur says AC84 was advised to do the go-around by by Israeli Air Traffic Control shortly before 12 p.m. local time. She says the plane altered its course about eight kilometres away from Ben Gurion, and landed 10 minutes later without incident.

Arthur says the return flight to Toronto, AC85, departed Tel Aviv about two hours later.

A Hamas rocket intercepted near Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday prompted the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to halt American commercial flights to Israel's main international gateway. Air Canada and some European carriers followed suit.

Jolted by the blow at the height of an already stagnant summer tourism season, Israel persuaded U.S. authorities to lift the flight ban on Thursday, after which Air Canada resumed flights and the European aviation regulator removed its own advisory against flying to Ben Gurion.

With reports from Reuters and Globe staff

Interact with The Globe