El Al cancels planned Vietnam flights due to security issues

El Al Airlines said on Thursday that it is canceling the launch of its planned service to Vietnam this fall for security reasons, just six months after announcing the new route.

The move comes after Israeli security officials, under the directives of the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet), notified the airline that they could not grant the necessary approval for operating the route using Israeli aircraft and crews, El Al said in a statement.

The dramatic reversal came half a year after the airline announced that it was launching service to Hanoi in October, having received initial security clearance for the route.

El Al said ticketed passengers will be offered a full cash refund or the opportunity to rebook with connecting service through Thailand.

Meanwhile, rival carrier Arkia continues to operate flights to Vietnam.