The Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, announced Friday it will gradually resume flights to Tel Aviv starting June 23.
“The decision to renew flights to Israel followed a comprehensive situation assessment and coordination with relevant authorities,” the group said in a statement. Lufthansa is Germany’s flag carrier and the largest airline in Europe.
Meanwhile, Italian carrier ITA Airways has extended its suspension of flights to Israel through June 22. In contrast, Dutch low-cost airline Transavia resumed service to Israel Friday.
U.S. airline United Airlines, which had previously canceled flights to Tel Aviv through June 13 following a Houthi missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport, announced over the weekend it would resume service earlier than planned—starting June 5.
Delta Air Lines resumed its daily nonstop service from New York’s JFK Airport to Israel about two weeks ago. Israeli carriers El Al and Arkia are also operating direct routes between Israel and the United States. Arkia announced it would begin weekly direct flights to the Seychelles starting June 20, following Air Seychelles’ decision to halt service to and from Israel.
Dutch airline KLM has restarted its Amsterdam–Tel Aviv route, with outbound flights from the Netherlands making a brief stop in Larnaca, Cyprus. Return flights from Israel to Amsterdam are direct. Air France has also resumed its flights to Israel.
However, several airlines continue to suspend service. Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has extended its suspension of flights to Israel through the end of July.
ITA Airways also confirmed it would not resume flights to Israel before June 15. Spain’s Iberia Express extended its flight cancellations through June 7. British Airways has suspended all flights to and from Israel until July 31.
Greece’s national airline, Aegean Airlines, resumed service to Israel last Wednesday. Latvia’s airBaltic is set to resume flights on June 6.
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Footage of Houthi missile hitting close to Ben Gurion Airport
Other airlines maintaining cancellations:
• Air Seychelles: Suspended until at least August
• LOT Polish Airlines: Through June 8
• Air India: Through June 19
• Iberia: Through June 7
• easyJet: The British low-cost giant, which hasn’t flown to Israel since October 2023, has pushed back its return to Ben-Gurion until June 30. The airline said affected passengers are being offered refunds or alternate flights.
• Air Canada: Announced it will not resume flights to Israel in June as previously planned.
Are passengers entitled to compensation?
Aviation and tourism attorney Ehud Fai explained that passengers may not be entitled to monetary compensation if the airline can prove that the cancellation was required due to a wartime security emergency — such as the missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport.
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Israeli travelers heading to Ben Gurion Airport after Houthi missile hit
(Photo: Jack GUEZ / AFP)
Are refunds or replacement flights still required? “Yes,” Fai clarified. “Even in such cases, the airline is still obligated to offer passengers either a replacement ticket or a full refund, based on the passenger’s choice, as well as assistance services such as hotel accommodation and meals until the alternate flight departs.”
Are passengers entitled to compensation?
Aviation and tourism attorney Ehud Fai explained that passengers may not be entitled to monetary compensation if the airline can prove that the cancellation was required due to a wartime security emergency — such as the missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport.
Are refunds or replacement flights still required?
“Yes,” Fai clarified. “Even in such cases, the airline is still obligated to offer passengers either a replacement ticket or a full refund, based on the passenger’s choice, as well as assistance services such as hotel accommodation and meals until the alternate flight departs.”
What should travelers do now?
Travelers should carefully follow airline announcements regarding cancellations or service resumptions. The Lufthansa Group, for instance, is offering affected passengers free cancellations or rebookings. Those booking tickets with Israeli carriers should check whether the flight is operated by a leased foreign aircraft.
Travelers are encouraged to purchase “ticket insurance” from Israeli carriers, which provides a refund option in case of cancellation. Those currently stranded abroad should ensure their travel insurance is extended. Some insurers are doing this automatically, but passengers should confirm with their providers.