Flights have resumed from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv after a week of closure.
A Boeing 737 belonging El Al, the Israeli national airline, departed for Rome at 6am local time. The carrier is operating a limited number of repatriation flights, departing for London Luton at 5am on Tuesday as well as other services to Athens, Larnaca and Paris.
Intercontinental repatriation flights on El Al are expected to leave Tel Aviv for New York, Los Angeles and Bangkok.
But demand is far exceeding the supply of seats – which is capped at 50 passengers per flight because of concerns about large numbers of people at the airport becoming a target for Iranian attacks.
El Al revealed that 25,000 “outbound flight request forms” have been submitted since registration opened on the airline’s website on Saturday night.
The carrier said: “At this stage, we invite customers wishing to depart from Israel in the coming week to register via the dedicated form.”
Anyone who gains a place on a repatriation flight will not be permitted to return to Israel within three weeks.
El Al has cancelled its normal schedule for the remainder of this week.
Meanwhile British nationals in Israel are waiting to hear more about promised repatriation flights by the UK government.
On Sunday the Foreign Office set out plans for a first charter from Tel Aviv, saying it will be a single “flight to transport vulnerable British nationals and their dependants out of Israel”.
People in Israel are required to register their presence there with the Foreign Office and are then invited to apply for the flight, but with no guarantee of a place.
All prospective passengers are required to pay a reported £350 for a seat. The FCDO says unsuccessful applicants will be refunded – and that more flights could follow.
The Independent is seeking more information from the Foreign Office.
Key land borders remain open: from Jerusalem to Amman in Jordan, from where international flights are operating, and from Eilat to Taba in Egypt, followed by a road transfer to Sharm El Sheikh airport.
The FCDO is providing support for British nationals who leave by these routes. But the Israeli authorities warn of possible attack on people leaving the country.
