A first few hundred passengers were able to leave the country on Sunday after Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was partially reopened for outbound flights amid the conflict with Iran.

Flights are currently operated by Israeli airlines El Al, Israir, and Arkia, alongside a series of restrictions, to more than 30 destinations in Europe, the US, and Asia.

A maximum of two narrow-body aircraft were permitted to depart per hour from Ben Gurion, with no more than 70 to 100 passengers per flight, depending on the airline and size of plane. Passengers were also permitted to check in luggage.

The number of outbound flights is tied to the number of repatriation flights currently approved by the Transportation Ministry and security authorities to fly Israelis back from major cities around the world. On Sunday, a total of 43 repatriation flights were expected to land at the country’s main international airport.

Israeli citizens departing on the repatriation flights need to sign a form stating that they will not return to the country for at least 30 days from the date of departure.

All passengers leaving on those flights were also required to use the early check-in program from home and arrive at the airport about two hours before departure. The guidelines aim to avoid overcrowding and limit the time passengers stay on the ground at the airport, as missile and rocket attacks from Iran and Lebanon continue.

Ben Gurion Airport was gradually reopened Wednesday night for inbound flights, to help repatriate around 120,000 Israelis stranded abroad after the country’s airspace was shut on February 28. Since the partial reopening of Ben Gurion, about 15,000........

© The Times of Israel