--- description: "It was an overreaction for the FAA to halt U.S. flights here – and a mistake they should correct" title: Michael Bloomberg: FAA Decision to Halt Flights an 'Overreaction' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt179bbaa63f04af7a/69869ceb1eebf7c94b371f98/michael-bloomberg.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Michael Bloomberg Blasts FAA for Halting Israel Flights by [Maya Rhodan](/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 23, 2014 8:35 PM CUT  Mike Bloomberg, majority shareholder of Bloomberg LP and former New York mayor, second right, and Nir Barkat, mayor of Jerusalem, right, speak with member of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Jerusalem, Israel, on Wednesday, July 23, 2014. Mike Bloomberg, majority shareholder of Bloomberg LP and former New York mayor, second right, and Nir Barkat, mayor of Jerusalem, right, speak with member of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Jerusalem, Israel, on Wednesday, July 23, 2014.Gilad Mor—Bloomberg/ Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 23, 2014 8:35 PM CUT Former New York Mayor [Mike Bloomberg](http://mikebloomberg.com/index.cfm?objectid=643C58FA-5056-9A3E-D043EBCECFD93DAB "undefined") said the Federal Aviation Administration overreacted after it canceled flights to Israel for 24 hours. Bloomberg flew to the country himself Wednesday, to “show solidarity with the Israeli people” and to “show that it’s safe to fly in and out” of the country, despite the ongoing crisis in Gaza. “Halting flights here – when the airport is safe – hurts Israel and rewards Hamas for attacking Israel. Hamas wants to shut down the airport; we can’t let that happen,” Bloomberg said in a statement posted to his [website](http://mikebloomberg.com/index.cfm?objectid=643C58FA-5056-9A3E-D043EBCECFD93DAB "undefined"). “I’m a pilot – and I’ve always believed the FAA does a great job – and still do. But on this issue, I think the agency got it wrong.” The FAA [ordered](http://time.com/3024693/israel-flight-ban/ "undefined") American carriers to stay put on Wednesday, after a rocket hit a mile away from Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport. Flight operations were canceled “due to the potentially hazardous situation created by the armed conflict in Israel and Gaza,” the FAA said. Bloomberg, who says he has “always been a strong supporter of Israel,” landed in Tel Aviv at 5 a.m. local time on Wednesday via an El Al flight. He applauded [Secretary of State John Kerry ](http://time.com/3024986/israel-gaza-kerry-cease-fire/ "undefined")for also flying into the region on Wednesday to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. “He was right to fly in, and I hope he will report back that the airport is safe and that the FAA should reverse its decision,” Bloomberg said. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3025432/michael-bloomberg-blasts-faa-for-halting-israel-flights/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3025432/michael-bloomberg-blasts-faa-for-halting-israel-flights/"},"headline":"Michael Bloomberg Blasts FAA for Halting Israel Flights","datePublished":"2014-07-23T20:35:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T09:18:42.872Z","description":"\"It was an overreaction for the FAA to halt U.S. flights here – and a mistake they should correct\"","url":"https://time.com/3025432/michael-bloomberg-blasts-faa-for-halting-israel-flights/","keywords":["Israel","New York","U.S.","John F. 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