Palestinian Airlines relocated to El Arish International Airport after
Yasser Arafat International Airport was rendered non-operational when the runway was destroyed by
Israeli forces in 2001. All Palestinian Airlines flights were grounded from 2005 to 2012. The airport has been mainly used for Palestinian passengers from the
Gaza Strip traveling to Saudi Arabia for
hajj and
umrah. At the time of Palestinian Airlines' closure, its two
Fokker 50 planes—both over 30 years old—operated flights between El Arish, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. During the
Gaza war, the airport was used as a staging ground for
medical flights to the
United Arab Emirates. == Current operations ==