The wave of foreign airlines returning to Ben Gurion Airport is continuing, while new flight options are also opening up for Israelis traveling to the Far East.
Following British Airways’ announcement that it would resume service to Israel, Spanish carrier Iberia is expected to restart flights between Tel Aviv and Madrid on Oct. 25. At the same time, Poland’s LOT launched a new nonstop route between Warsaw and Bangkok on Wednesday, potentially giving Israeli travelers another way to reach Thailand, particularly after Flydubai suspended flights to Israel following the attempted terror attack aboard one of its planes.
Iberia airliner
(Photo: Nieuwland Photography / Shutterstock.com)
We checked how much tickets cost on both routes and what is included in the fare.
Iberia will operate the Tel Aviv-Madrid route through its low-cost subsidiary Iberia Express, with seven weekly flights planned.
Initially, flights from Madrid to Israel will include a technical stop in Athens for a crew change, while flights in the opposite direction, from Tel Aviv to Madrid, will operate nonstop.
A check of Iberia’s website found round-trip tickets from Tel Aviv to Madrid, departing Oct. 26 and returning Nov. 3, starting at $577 per passenger.
That fare includes a carry-on bag on the outbound flight, and both a carry-on and checked suitcase on the return leg. A ticket including both a carry-on and checked bag in each direction was offered for the same dates from $621, an additional $44.
Iberia’s return expands flight options to Madrid, which also serves as a major hub for onward travel across Europe, Latin America and the United States.
Thailand via Poland
Meanwhile, Polish carrier LOT launched a new route Wednesday between Warsaw and Bangkok, the Thai capital.
The inaugural flight departed Warsaw Chopin Airport, with the route operated using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The flight from Warsaw to Bangkok takes about 10 hours and 20 minutes.
LOT will initially operate three weekly flights on the route. From Oct. 26, frequency is scheduled to increase to five flights a week, rising again to six weekly flights from Nov. 2.
For Israeli travelers, a check of LOT’s website found round-trip tickets from Tel Aviv to Bangkok via Warsaw starting at $1,345 per passenger, for departure on Nov. 25 and return on Dec. 9.
The fare includes a carry-on bag and checked luggage, with all flight segments included on a single ticket.
The new route could provide another option for Israelis planning trips to Thailand, particularly following Flydubai’s suspension of flights to Israel. Travelers should still check connection times in Warsaw and the total journey time before booking.
For LOT, Bangkok also marks a return to a familiar destination. The airline first began serving Bangkok in 1977, when the route operated via Dubai and Mumbai. It later introduced nonstop Warsaw-Thailand flights before regular service ended in March 2000.
Now, more than 26 years later, the route is returning.
Iberia’s comeback and LOT’s Bangkok launch are part of a broader reshaping of the flight options available to Israeli travelers.
British Airways announced Wednesday that it will resume daily flights between Tel Aviv and London Heathrow on Oct. 25. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines returned to Ben Gurion Airport in September.
Air India is also scheduled to resume nonstop service between Tel Aviv and Delhi on Dec. 1.