Passengers on a United Airlines 777-300ER experienced a 14-hour flight to nowhere after a decision was made to return to San Francisco after a series of violent attacks led to a declaration of war in Israel.
A 14-Hour United Airlines Flight To Nowhere After War Breaks Out in Israel
Israel is at war after a surprise Sabbath attack by terrorists from the Gaza Strip that included the launch of over 5,000 rockets as well as land and sea incursions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mobilized reserves and vowed a swift and decisive response.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
"Citizens of Israel,
We are at war, not in an operation or in rounds, but at war. This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. We have been in this since the early morning hours. pic.twitter.com/C7YQUviItR— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 7, 2023
Israeli fighter jets are now striking targets in Gaza and troops are fighting on land in border towns. Over 200 people have been reported dead (40 Israelis and now 200 Palestinians thus far in Israel’s response) and thousands injured.
Meanwhile, most Israeli airports have closed, though Ben Gurion International (TLV) in Tel Aviv remains open. Even so, some airlines have canceled or delayed flights.
Perhaps most poignantly, United Airlines flight UA954 took off on Friday from San Francisco (SFO), operated by a 777-300ER. As it neared Greenland, it turned around and is currently enroute back to SFO, due to land at 10:34 am local time and representing a 14-hour flight to nowhere.
United Airlines has said the flight wasn’t canceled due to an “unexpected disruption:”
Your flight is canceled because of an unexpected disruption beyond United’s control. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.
However, United’s service from Washington (IAD) and Newark (EWR) did not divert. Delta Air Lines’ service from New York (JFK) was delayed, but will land in Tel Aviv later today. American Airlines’ JFK flight is expected to arrive on time.
CONCLUSION
Israel is at war again after a surprise attack from Hamas. With thousands of rockets in the air, some flights are being canceled or diverted into Tel Aviv. Perhaps most notably, passengers on UA954 experienced a 14-hour flight to nowhere. The 777-300ER is currently en route back to San Francisco and will land later this morning.
image: Bill Abbott / Flickr
Israel’s strict airport security has been welcomed for 75 years .
So how many mileage plus miles would they get for this flight ?
Good question. Although I would want a Refund.
Good decision by United. Sadly war has broken out and the Muslim terrorists would blow a landing plane up with a rocket in a minute without any concern.
Israel is a strong nation and will not only defend itself but will fight back and win. Sadly they are too close to nuke these animals back into the stone ages. Oh wait, they already are almost there.
Matthew hasn’t called you out on referring to Palestinians as ‘animals’ from the ‘stone ages’, but I will.
There are two sides to most stories, and there are definitely two sides to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, which has gone on and on and on – with terrorist acts being committed by BOTH sides – since the end of the 19th century.
Israelis and Palestinians are all PEOPLE, who deserve to live in safety, and with the expectation that life will be better for their children.
This is a complex issue and indeed we are talking about people on both sides. But those people who chose to launch rocket attacks and targeted civilians in Israel have forfeited their right to live among us and justice requires they be held accountable, up to and including death.
Oh, and Israel hasn’t consistently targeted innocent Palestinians during the past century? One reaps what one sows. Galatians 6:7-9
Whatever complex history may exist does not justify what Hamas did on Saturday. Do not return evil for evil.
There is something you left out which is why American and Delta allowed their flights to continue. It is being reported they allowed those flights to continue in order to get all their crew members who were on layover out of Tel Aviv. And the crew members who operated those flights remained onboard the aircraft and returned back to the US immediately. I”m not sure if United did the same thing or not but right now neither American or Delta has any crew members in Tel Aviv.
@proschwit … good information . Thank you .
All AA, UA and Delta crews and planes have been evacuated from TLV. They ferried the flights out and brought out any personnel that wanted to leave. My understanding is UA carried a few passengers as well. Through the airline channels I’ve heard that there were no maintenance staff available at airport so they didn’t put passengers on plane, just employees. Not sure if that was actually the scenario.
No issue here,* right thing to do. (*except sadly, the war).
The United flights from EWR and IAD continued because there were already 5 United crews on layovers in TLV, as United’s TLV operations is far more extensive than the other US carriers. The crews already in TLV from ORD, IAD, SFO, and EWR were all deadheaded out on the flight to IAD tonight, and the plane that arrived from EWR is being ferried back to the US.
Have the Jew hating members of the democrat “squad” chimed in yet wishing hamas well?
Omar that scumbag shouldn’t even be allowed in this country much less a member of Congress
I mean, if they’re gonna defend Ukraine…
“most Israeli airports have closed” is a strange claim, given that TLV is practically the one and only Israeli airport, and it’s open.
There are more—I wasn’t simply talking about commercial airports.
Chad I agree with you
Muslims are an invader force everywhere. Stop them.