summary
- Several major airlines have resumed flights to Tel Aviv after suspending operations due to the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
- Israeli airlines such as El Al, Arkia Airlines and Israel Airlines had a monopoly on flights to Israel until the end of November.
- Many airlines have announced plans to resume flights to Tel Aviv, but the security situation may lead to cancellations or postponements.
The war in Gaza significantly changed Israel’s aviation and tourism sectors. However, several major airlines have resumed or plan to resume flights to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) in recent weeks. These airlines suspended flights to Israel on October 9, following the atrocities committed by the terrorist group Hamas in Israel on October 7, which led to clashes between the terrorist group and Israel in the Gaza Strip. The flight was temporarily suspended. Take a look at the airlines currently flying to Israel.
return to israel
Following Hamas’s brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, nearly all foreign airlines have suspended flights to Israel. This left Israeli flag carrier El Al and fellow Israeli carriers Arkia and Israel with a monopoly on most routes, but these airlines continued to operate and most foreign airlines has ceased operations, but it continued to serve as a necessary air bridge connecting Israel with Asia, Europe, and North America. Flight to Tel Aviv for war and insurance reasons. The Israeli government provides insurance support to Israeli airlines so they can continue operating.
Until late November, Israeli airlines were the only airlines operating in Israel. However, the first group of airlines resumed flights to Tel Aviv. This includes flydubai, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Red Wings, Azimuth Airways and Uzbekistan Airways. By mid-December, there were only 498 weekly flights departing from Ben Gurion Airport, down 66.4% from September levels.
Photo: Chameleon’s Eye | Shutterstock
However, the situation has changed significantly. On January 9, the Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines, all resumed flights to Tel Aviv, and last week saw the return of Athens-based Aegean Airlines and Bucharest-based Tarom Airlines. . According to the Israel Airports Authority, nine international airlines have resumed flights to Israel, including Air France, Air Europa, Vueling Airlines, Transavia Airlines, Bulgaria Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Bluebird Airlines, Azerbaijan Airlines and TUS Airlines. have plans to do so or have already restarted.
![Lufthansa Airbus A320neo](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/a-lufthansa-airbus-a320neo-karolis-kavolelis.jpg)
Lufthansa Group resumes flights to Israel in January
Lufthansa, Swissair and Austrian Airlines will resume flights to Tel Aviv.
These airlines have announced plans to resume flights to Tel Aviv, but say their decisions may change depending on the security situation. Therefore, airlines may postpone returns to Israel if the security situation worsens. This means that even if the situation looks positive, these flights can still be canceled and those booking should be aware of the risks.
Who is flying now?
As mentioned above, over the past few months, El Al, Arkia, and Israel have served as the only bridge between Israel and the rest of the world. In addition to Israeli airlines, 11 international airlines have resumed operations, and more are scheduled to resume operations. The table below provides details of airlines operating flights from Tel Aviv in January.
Airlines | Destination |
---|---|
El Al | Amsterdam, Athens, Bangkok, Barcelona, Berlin, Boston, Bucharest, Budapest, Chisinau, Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, New York-JFK, Johannesburg, Krakow, Larnaca, Lisbon, London Heathrow, London Luton, Los Angeles, Madrid, Miami, Milan , Moscow, Munich, Newark, Paris, Prague, Rome, Sofia, Tbilisi, Vienna, Warsaw, Zurich |
Archia | Athens, Belgrade, Bucharest, Budapest, Dubai, Eilat, Larnaca, Prague, Tbilisi |
Israel | Athens, Batumi, Bucharest, Budapest, Chisinau, Dubai, Eilat, Larnaca, Sofia, Tbilisi |
ethiopian airlines | Addis Ababa |
flydubai | dubai |
hainan airlines | shenzhen |
etihad airways | abu dhabi |
red wing | Sochi |
azimuth airline | Sochi |
Uzbekistan Airways | Tashkent |
Lufthansa German Airlines | munich and frankfurt |
Swiss International Airlines | zurich |
Austrian Airlines | vienna |
Tarom | bucharest |
aegean airlines | athens |
bluebird airline | athens |
air france | Paris (reopening on January 24th) |
TUS Airlines | Larnaca |
high sky | Bucharest and Chisinau |
smart wing | tbilisi |
Azerbaijan Airlines | Baku (reopening on January 16th) |
Other airlines such as Finnair, KLM, Ryanair, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus will all operate scheduled flights to and from Israel in February. Although these current schedule filings indicate that a resumption of service to Israel is near, none of these airlines have confirmed a return to Israel, and neither will continue to serve Tel Aviv. It claims to have been suspended.
Photo: Dmitry Pistrov | Shutterstock
US legacy airlines American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines announce resumption of flights to Israel, even as many legacy airlines have returned and more are expected to return in the coming weeks I haven’t. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have also not announced plans to resume flights to Israel.