Lufthansa, other airlines extend Tel Aviv flights suspension

The German airline group Lufthansa announced on Monday it would extend its suspension of flights to Israel until 15 December, due to the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. 

The suspension applies to all airlines within the Lufthansa Group, including SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Eurowings. 

Flights from Frankfurt and Munich to Tel Aviv with the flagship Lufthansa airline will now be suspended until the end of the year, the group added. 

Previously, all flights within the group were suspended until 25 November. 

In recent months, the Lufthansa Group repeatedly adjusted its flight schedule due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, in line with other carriers. 

Flights to Tehran were also suspended until the end of January next year, while services to Beirut will remain suspended until the end of February. 

Other major European airlines have also cancelled flights to and from Israel amid rising regional tensions, Israeli media reported on Sunday. 

Italian airline ITA Airways, the only Italian carrier with regular flights to Israel, has announced it will halt all services to and from Israel until January 12, according to the Israel Hayom newspaper. 

French airline Air France has extended its suspension of flights to Israel until 26 December.  

Previously, Air France had cancelled flights on a weekly basis, but the suspension has now been extended to nearly 45 days. 

Greek airline Aegean Airlines also stated it would not resume flights to Israel until 3 December, as reported by the daily. 

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Virgin Atlantic Airways announced a delay in the resumption of its services to Israel due to delays in engine deliveries from Rolls-Royce, according to Bloomberg. 

Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported that the airline does not expect to resume flights to Israel until October 2025. 

American Airlines has extended its suspension of flights to Tel Aviv from March 2025 to September, while Delta Airlines and British Airways, the UK’s flag carrier, have cancelled their routes to Israel until April next year.  

These airlines join a growing list of international carriers that have recently prolonged their suspensions of flights to Israel. 

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, which has resulted in Israel killing over 43,000 Palestinians since 7 October 2023, international airlines have frequently suspended and resumed flights to and from Israel due to escalating regional tensions. 

In recent months, all US airlines have halted flights to Israel amid intensified Israeli offensives in southern Lebanon and rising tensions across the Middle East. 

Here’s a concise list of additional airlines that have suspended services to the region: 

• Air Algérie: Suspended flights to/from Lebanon indefinitely
• airBaltic: Cancelled Tel Aviv flights until 30 November
• Transavia: Cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Amman, and Beirut until end-March
• Air India: Suspended Tel Aviv flights indefinitely
• Bulgaria Air: Cancelled Tel Aviv flights until 23 December
• Cathay Pacific: Cancelled Tel Aviv flights until October 2025
• Corendon Airlines: Cancelled Tel Aviv flights until January
• EasyJet: Suspended Tel Aviv flights until March
• EgyptAir: Suspended Beirut flights until conditions stabilise
• Emirates: Cancelled Beirut and Baghdad flights until 30 November
• Ethiopian Airlines: Suspended Beirut flights indefinitely
• flydubai: Suspended Beirut flights; operations to Iraq and Iran continue
• Iran Air: Cancelled Beirut flights indefinitely
• Iraqi Airways: Suspended Beirut flights indefinitely
• LOT: Cancelled Tel Aviv flights until 11 November; Beirut flights set to resume on 1 April
• Pegasus: Cancelled Beirut flights until 15 November
• Qatar Airways: Temporarily suspended Iran and Lebanon flights
• Ryanair: Cancelled Tel Aviv flights until year-end; may extend until end-March
• Sundair: Cancelled Beirut flights from Berlin until 8 December, Bremen until 26 March, and Muenster/Osnabrück until 29 March 
• TAROM: Suspended Beirut flights until 15 November
• Wizz Air: Suspended Tel Aviv flights through 14 January