国际英语新闻:U.S. bars flights to Tel Aviv for 24 hours after rocket attack near airport

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday told the country's airlines that all flights to Tel Aviv, Israel are prohibited for 24 hours over safety concerns following a rocket attack near the airport there.

According to a Notice to Airmen issued by the FAA, all U.S. airlines are informed that they are prohibited from flying to or from Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport for a period of up to 24 hours.

The notice was issued in response to a rocket strike which landed approximately one mile from Ben Gurion International Airport Tuesday morning, FAA said.

The notice applies only to U.S. operators, and has no authority over foreign airlines operating to or from the airport, FAA noted.

FAA said it immediately notified U.S. carriers when the agency learned of the rocket strike and informed them that the agency was

finalizing a notice.

Updated instructions will be provided to U.S. airlines as soon as conditions permit, FAA added. "But no later than 24 hours from the time the notice went into force.

Before FAA's prohibition on all U.S. airline flights to Tel Aviv, two major U.S. civil aviation giants, Delta Airlines and U.S. Airways, announced Tuesday morning that they've canceled flights to Israel due to safety and security concerns.

The U.S. State Department has been warning people to defer nonessential travel to Israel since Feb. 3 due to safety reason in Gaza.

Long-range rockets launched from Gaza since early this month have reached many locations in Israel, resulting impacts that have caused unsafety of aviation there.