After a surprise attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel over the weekend, major international airlines suspended or reduced aircraft services to or from Tel Aviv, saying they were waiting for safety conditions to improve.

El Al, Israel’s national carrier, was an exception, adding more flights to bring back reservists from around the world to help with the country’s largest mobilisation in history.

The Islamist group’s fighters killed 700 Israelis and kidnapped hundreds in Saturday’s attacks, the bloodiest such incursion in decades, leading Israel to counter by bombing Gaza.

Flight cancellations are expected to have a significant impact on Israel’s tourism industry. According to OECD data, tourism accounts for 3.6% of total employment in the country.

According to travel data provider ForwardKeys, tourism bookings were 18% lower than before the outbreak and had been climbing earlier this year.

Regulators such as the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and Israel’s aviation authority warned airlines to exercise caution in the region’s airspace but stopped short of cancelling flights.

During the crisis, Israel’s civil aviation authority asked airlines to “review current security and threat information” and modified several air traffic routes. It recommended airlines to carry additional fuel because delays were predicted.

Following the FAA’s warning advisories, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines cancelled direct flights on Sunday.

Airlines in the United States typically operate direct flights from major cities such as New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Miami.

United said it operated two scheduled flights from Israel to the United States late Saturday and early Sunday before suspending operations. Delta reps stated that flights were cancelled this week and that the issue was being watched.

Air France and Finnair, both of Finland, have discontinued direct flights.

EasyJet suspended flights to Tel Aviv on Sunday and Monday and said it will change flight schedules over the next few days.

Wizz Air, a Hungarian low-cost carrier, has stopped flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice.

“Wizz Air is the most affected group with its operations accounting for some 9.4% of Israel’s total October capacity and … representing some 2.3% of the carrier’s total schedules,” Irish brokerage Goodbody said.

According to Goodbody, Lufthansa Group, one of the airlines most exposed to Israel, has postponed flights to and from Tel Aviv till Monday.

TAP Portugal stopped flights till Monday and offered refunds or rescheduling at no extra charge.

Virgin Atlantic said certain flights would continue to operate, but customers may rebook or obtain a refund until Oct. 15.

Shares in British airlines dipped on Monday as oil prices rose amid the Middle East unrest. IAG, the parent company of British Airways, was down 5%, Wizz Air was down 7.3%, and easyJet was down 4.8%.

Some airlines kept flying to Israel.

Flightradar24 listed forthcoming Ben Gurion airport arrivals from airlines such as Ryanair, flyDubai, and national carrier El Al.

According to Israel’s airport authorities, Ben Gurion continues to process arrivals and departures. When asked if any extra security procedures were being taken, the airport administration did not answer right away.

On Monday, Hainan Airlines, the only Chinese carrier operating between China and Israel, as well as other carriers flying from Hong Kong and South Korea, cancelled flights between Tel Aviv and Shanghai.

Hainan Airlines said it would maintain flights between Beijing and the southern tech hub of Shenzhen and Tel Aviv, while cancelling cancellation penalties before Oct. 20.

(Adapted from ABCNews.go.com)